Alltech has launched a competition to recognise individuals who are proactively showcasing the benefits of UK agriculture to the general public. Charlotte Cunningham reports.

With a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference,  taking place in Kentucky this May, people working within the agricultural sector are being encouraged to submit their entries online before April 5, 2020.

At a time when the farming sector is facing increasing scrutiny from the media, Alltech UK wants to ‘Connect, Elevate and Inspire’ the industry to better educate consumers on where their food comes from and the merits of agriculture from an environmental, health and sustainability point of view.

Misinformation

Emily Marshall, who has recently joined Alltech, proposed the initial idea for the competition after becoming increasingly frustrated with continued misinformation in the media about farming.

“Coming from a farming background it has been difficult for me to see the press, and even my friends, portraying agriculture in such a bad light,” said Emily.

“Before joining Alltech, I was part of the commercial graduate scheme at Tesco where part of my role was to understand customer perceptions. It was clear from the questions we received on social media and in-store that people didn’t understand where their food came from or how it was produced.

“It was this, combined with my desire for people to know more about the sector and what companies like Alltech do, that gave me the idea for this competition.”

Passionate about promotion

The Connect competition is aimed at those between the ages of 18 and 35, who are passionate about food and farming and who are actively promoting UK agriculture to end users.

“This could be anything from capturing farming stories on Instagram, to partaking in Open Farm Sunday,” explained Emily. “We would encourage anyone who is helping to connect consumers with the farming industry, or who has an idea that would help achieve this, to enter.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase what our industry does and provide a balanced message to the end user so they can make their own, informed decisions. We hope that this competition will be a platform that engages young people and excites them to tell their farming story far and wide.”

Those wishing to enter should do so online and have until April 5, 2020. The winner will be announced by mid-April.

For full terms and conditions, and to enter, visit the website: https://www.alltech.com/uk/alltech-connect-competition