Does Insight + Innovation Always = Impact?

Reflections and priorities from the BCBC 2026 panel of Robert Neill (Farmer), Katie Thorley (ABP UK), Dr Laura Palczynski (Harper Adams) and Chris Lyons (Innovate UK)

Bridging the Gap Between Innovation and Adoption

The BCBC 2026 panel ‘Does Insight + Innovation Always = Impact?’ examined why technologies, tools and research findings often fail to turn into meaningful change on farms. Despite major progress in areas such as genomics, AI, embryo transfer and precision monitoring, the panel agreed that innovation does not automatically result in impact. When the audience was asked whether insight and innovation lead to impact, 91% voted ‘no,’ highlighting the gap between potential and practice.

For farmer Robert Neill, impact is ultimately about profitability and long-term viability. Katie Thorley highlighted the slow pace of adoption in agriculture. Many farmers need repeated exposure to ideas before acting, and major changes can take five to fifteen years to embed. Dr. Laura Palczynski drew attention to the human and emotional aspects of change, including motivation, mental load and the influence of personal circumstances. Innovate UK’s Chris Lyons focused on the difficulty of reaching farmers outside established networks and the need for innovation that is shaped with farmers rather than handed to them.

What Drives Change and What Holds It Back

The panel identified several factors that restrict adoption. These included generational bottlenecks, limited capacity for decision-making, inconsistent communication, a lack of standardisation in new technologies and time pressure on farmers. They also highlighted the need for better follow-through after funded projects end, since knowledge transfer can fade once formal funding stops.

Positive enablers included peer-to-peer learning, trials in commercial environments and at relevant scale, shared discussion groups and technologies grounded in farmer needs. Examples such as sexed semen, disease eradication, rotational grazing and practical process improvements showed how impact grows when tools align with motivation, simplicity and clear evidence, and when farmer requirements, commercial industry support and innovative knowhow comes together.

Take-Home Messages

• Impact begins with people, not products. Tools only work when farmers feel able, motivated and confident to use them.
• Repetition matters. Consistent messages from trusted voices support adoption.
• Profitability and headroom are essential foundations for change.
• Collaboration speeds up progress when researchers, farmers, industry partners and advisors share the same goals.
• Mindset, stress levels and succession planning shape adoption just as much as technology.

Calls to Action for Farmers

• Set aside dedicated time for thinking and planning. Slowing down helps identify which changes will make the biggest difference.
• Use measurement tools to build confidence and support decision-making.
• Trial and validate products before wider adoption is sought.
• Engage in honest discussions about succession to unlock progress and improve clarity around decision-making.

Calls to Action for Researchers

• Co-design research with farmers to ensure relevance and practicality.
• Use behaviour-change frameworks when developing interventions.
• Maintain relationships beyond the end of project funding to support implementation.
• Communicate findings in accessible, jargon-free language.

Calls to Action for Industry

• Standardise technology wherever possible to reduce complexity.
• Invest in long-term knowledge exchange rather than short project cycles.
• Reinforce consistent messages across print, digital and on-farm channels.
• Build tools and systems around farmer needs and workflows.

Calls to Action for Policymakers and Funders

• Strengthen border controls and biosecurity to protect livestock businesses.
• Create clearer feedback routes so that project outcomes inform policy.
• Support collaborative, multi-farm initiatives that spread knowledge and adoption.
• Fund facilitators and knowledge brokers who help move innovation from theory into practice.