As a 2017 Nuffield Ireland scholar, I have travelled for eight weeks to seven countries, including India, Brazil, Qatar and the USA.

I travelled with someone who farms thousands of hectares in Brazil fit to grow two if not three crops a year, another farming beef on over a million hectares in Australia.

So far, I’ve taken 24 flights, travelled thousands of miles and filled pages of notes.

My opinions have been questioned, supported, rubbished and altered. I’ve seen the benefits of travel and through that the challenges and opportunities that address our industry.

Edward Payne in a 150ha field of irrigated maize in Brazil.

The 10 people who travelled on our GFP.

Part of this travel was a six-week Global Focus Programme (GFP) visiting all aspects of agriculture around the world, with nine other international scholars. Our views differed often, but we agreed on common difficulties that threaten the agriculture sector the world over.

Consumer producer disconnection, not enough young people entering the industry, knowledge transfer, the reluctant uptake of new research, NGOs and, in many parts of the world, water.

We visited some of the 2.4 million farmers in the Punjab region of India with an average farm size of less than five acres.

Due to its proximity to the Himalayan mountains, the Punjab region boasts a strong supply of water and although it only accounts for 1.5% of the countries land area, it produces 50% of its food.

In Qatar, we stood in a field of grass in the middle of a desert, irrigated with treated water piped from a city located 50km away. Two of the many striking examples I witnessed of the power of water.

The contrast between irrigated and non-irrigated land in Qatar.

We met with lobby groups, advisers, policy makers, researchers, processors, retailers and, most importantly of all, farmers, all in their own way making changes to address these challenges.

In America, we spoke of the impacts CRISPER technology will have on seed development.

CRISPER is the new gene-editing technology that allows companies to edit genomes with unprecedented precision, efficiency and flexibility.

This will dramatically increase the speed of development of seed potential and yield capacity.

On a coffee plantation in India, 1,000 metres above sea level, we learned of how even in a country with a population of 1.6bn people, attracting labour into agriculture is still an issue.

However, forward-thinking, well-structured farms are not seeing as big a problem, communication and strong relationships are key for them to maintain the staff numbers they need. We stood in glasshouses in Qatar, a country that imports over 95% of its food, and saw first-hand the huge investments the country is making to become self-sufficient in food.

Less than a week later, the world news was filled with the story that many of the Gulf states and Egypt had imposed a land, sea and air blockade upon Qatar.

Fresh fruit, veg and flower market in Channai, India.

Considering we visited the top end of farmers, companies, producers and research centres, it was impossible not to become engulfed in their positivity for agriculture.

Farming is the world’s biggest industry and, in my opinion of course, the most exciting. Challenges are part of it, as they are in any sector you choose to work in.

Commuter in Brazil.

Three Irish 2017 scholars in Washington DC.

Twelve months ago, when I applied for my scholarship, I didn’t fully understand what I was letting myself in for when I clicked the submit button. Neither did I fully account for the stresses and strains it would add to my family, friends, work colleagues and myself. But none of us regret me hitting that button.

I have seen things and met people that otherwise I would never have been able to.

The scale of the global agricultural industry we work in and its importance to everyone worldwide every day, at least three times a day, has been a huge eye-opener to me.

At a global scale we, as farmers, are those who feed the people, cloth them and even supply electricity. We all care for the earth in our own way and no matter where you are in the world, being a farmer is something to be proud of.

Applications for the 2018 Nuffield Scholarship close on 31 July. Anyone intersted in applying can visit here.

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