From Promise to Practice: What’s Good Enough?
The agri-tech community has proven it can innovate. The next step is showing which innovations are valuable, scaleable, and cost effective enough for widespread use.
At REAP 2026 we’re exploring a deceptively simple question: when is something “good enough” to adopt?
The innovation “funnel” is fed from many diverse sources – from ‘blue sky’ discovery science to commercial R&D and farmers’ own trials – each with different expectations and aspirations. Scientists pursue rigour, knowledge and understanding; industry seeks viable products, tools or services; farmers look for what works in practice, building more empirical evidence through experience and observation in real-world conditions.
Across this ecosystem, decisions are made using very different levels and types of information: from peer-reviewed papers to personal experience, advice from a trusted source, or repeating a farming practice because it seemed to have an impact last year. Each approach reflects the context they exist within, yet all share the same end goal: a profitable, productive, sustainable farming sector.
There’s also a practical reality: evidence has a cost. There is always a balance between the time and money invested in generating data and the value of the outcome. At some point, more experiments, trials or replicates stop delivering new practical insight. But equally, there must be enough credible, reliable information to justify a big investment or a change in practice – enough data to build trust and warrant change, but not so much that progress stalls.
Finding that balance – between the perfect and the practical – is becoming increasingly important as R&D budgets tighten and every pound must work harder. So, where is the balance?
At REAP 2026, we’ll explore how clearer expectations – and a shared understanding – of “good enough” can accelerate adoption, improve return on investment, and help deliver scalable, trusted agri‑tech solutions.
What to expect:
Farmer Exclusive Breakfast with the keynote speaker.
Keynote Address uncovering the conference theme and big-picture innovation insights from the Supply Chain Experts.
Farmer Insights Panel. Hear from some pro-innovation farmers about their processes of triage and trust around technology integration.
Research Into Practice. Fireside chats between a farmer and scientists from top UK research institutes to understand how research impacts life on the ground for farmers and growers.
Start-Up Showcase. We reveal the secret seven most exciting technology ventures hitting the agri-tech scene. Would you invest?
Technology Exhibition. Meet innovators, see technology.
Plenty of networking opportunities over breaks, lunch, and drinks reception.
