Our Meet the Team series profiles the individuals who make up the UK Agri-Tech Centre, offering you a glimpse into their stories and their ambitions for the sector. Up next is Dr Annie Williams, Business Development Manager.
For Dr Annie Williams, the potential to revolutionise food systems sustainably is inspiring.
Tell us about yourself. How did you come to work in this sector?
My journey in agriculture began early—I started milking cows at the age of 14 to fund my passion for horses. Growing up in rural Lincolnshire, I developed a love for animals and agriculture. This led me to pursue a career that combined my passion with scientific exploration. My early experiences with livestock nutrition sparked my interest in the sector, and I’ve been dedicated to it ever since.
With a degree in Bioveterinary Sciences and a master’s in Animal Nutrition, I’ve been able to work in a number of roles, from ruminant nutritionist, to export manager, and now as Business Development Manager.
Why is nutrient management an important topic for the sector?
Nutrient management, particularly in sustainability, is a key focus for me. I see the potential co-operation between livestock and arable as an opportunity for innovation, exploring ways to utilise nutrients efficiently across both sectors.
We need to understand, for example, how we can manage nitrogen on a dairy farm and then apply this to an arable farm. How do we make sure it’s not in excess? How do we potentially extract nitrogen out of slurries and manures? These are critical steps in our sustainability agenda.
If you have an innovation that could respond to challenges in nutrient management, then get in touch with the team about the upcoming Farming Innovation Programme – Farming Futures R&D grant that will focus on Nutrient Management. Our expertise and innovation services from project management to research and development, consortia building and real farms to trial on will help you to achieve rapid and impactful change.
What excites you about working at the UK Agri-Tech Centre?
The opportunity to drive innovation in agriculture. We are moving towards more circular systems, and being at the forefront of that movement is very rewarding. Working with a team of experts across sectors means we can make a real impact on the future of food systems.
At the end of the day, people have to eat. Knowing that the work I do contributes to ensuring a sustainable and resilient food system is incredibly motivating. The potential for innovation and the opportunity to lead globally in agri-tech make this line of work inspiring every day.