Edward Fane Trefusis
Growing up in East Devon, I have always been passionate about agriculture and the environment. This love has led me to study Agriculture and work for ADM as a trader. I’m now back in Devon, working for my family business at what I see as an extremely exciting but challenging time for the industry. It is in this context that I embark on a Nuffield Scholarship. I would like to extend a huge thanks to AHDB for the sponsorship and for making this journey possible.
1. How can agricultural businesses manage risk in a risky operating environment?
AHDB
Study Overview
Agricultural businesses are increasingly operating in a volatile and uncertain marketplace, with the loss of direct payment subsidies, mounting extreme weather events, and an uncertain geopolitical environment. Risk management has never been more important.
My Nuffield Scholarship will, therefore, explore how businesses can create resilience by incorporating sustainability to manage:
- Future Regulations: Proactively addressing potential regulatory changes, positioning the organisation to be resilient to them
- Reputational Risk: Building a strong reputation that can support the business in its future endeavours, a licence to operate
- Access to Liquidity: Better access to financing as investors increasingly seek out ESG-compliant investments
- Environmental Risk: Reducing and managing the vulnerability to environmental risks, such as extreme weather and drought
- Economic Stability: Realising the long-term viability of the business.
In this challenging but exciting time, I’m thrilled to explore a topic that can help create resilience.