UK Farmland Adviser Ed Blundy: New Technology Could Power Hope for Farmers

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Technology has consistently influenced farming, from the steel plow to GPS tractors. But as global pressures around food security, energy, and water intensify, the next wave of innovation may not just improve yields; it could redefine where and how food is grown.

That is why podcasts focused on technology aren’t just Ed Blundy’s aural companion for his solo runs outside. For this Brit who is Equity Partner and Head of Land Agency at Brown & Co. in the UK, those tech podcasts help guide him for what is ahead.

Blundy believes agriculture is standing at the edge of a much larger technological conversation, one that reaches beyond traditional agri-tech panels and into unexpected territory.

“There hasn’t been a huge focus on tech in a lot of the conferences that we go to,” he observed. “I just wonder whether in the future, there will be a bigger focus on the tech. Obviously, tech is an ingrained part of all of it.”

Ed Blundy bio:

• Brown & Co – Equity Partner/Land Sales Manager (based at the King’s Lynn office in Norfolk since 2009)

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors – Member

• Central Association of Agricultural Valuers – Fellow

• Married to South Lincolnshire farmer

  
  

What’s different now, Blundy argues, is the pace and scope of technological change. Advances in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and energy systems are converging in ways that could dramatically alter constraints farmers have always taken for granted, especially water and power.

RELATED: Ed Blundy explained to American Farmland Owner last year who was and was not buying UK farmland. 

Quantum Physics and Nuclear Fusion Help for Farming

Blundy ventured into what he readily admitted was “mind-boggling” territory. “With recent developments in the quantum physics space, AI-driven quantum physics, maybe that will solve the nuclear fusion problem before too long,” he said. “And then my mind boggles and wonders whether, if you can solve fusion, then you can solve desalination.”

The implications for agriculture are enormous. Fusion energy—if it becomes commercially viable—could provide vast amounts of clean, low-cost electricity. That electricity could power desalination (process of removing salts and minerals from saline water) unlocking fresh water supplies in regions long constrained by aridity.

“Then all of a sudden you can start growing food in different parts of the world,” Blundy said. “People aren’t necessarily tied to the same parts of the world.”

When that could arrive is a great unknown. “How far away is that going to be? Is that next year? Is it 100 years’ time?” Blundy asked.

But the exercise itself, which involves thinking beyond incremental change, is important for landowners and operators making long-term decisions today.

Still, for all the talk of advanced technology, Blundy repeatedly returned to fundamentals.

Farm Fundamentals

“All roads lead back to land. Can’t get away from land,” he said.

No matter how sophisticated technology becomes, agriculture remains rooted in land ownership, stewardship, and policy.

That is where learning becomes critical. Blundy described his role—and the responsibility of advisors—as one of continuous education across disciplines.

“You have to know policy, international policy, everything,” he explained. Food security, he noted, is treated very differently depending on geography. “In some parts of the world, food security equals national security. Others, not so much.”

Policy decisions can shape the viability of farming just as much as technology. Blundy pointed to stark contrasts between the U.S. and the U.K., particularly around taxation and farm support. “We come here (to the United States) and all we hear is that we’ve got to get behind the farmer that’s producing our food,” he said. “The thought of taxing the farmer… is just something we would never consider.”

In the U.K., however, the removal of direct production support has forced farmers to rethink their models. “We may have a replacement environmental support program coming later this year,” Blundy said. “Will it be for everybody? Not sure.”

That uncertainty makes adaptability essential. Technology—especially precision ag, data analytics, and water-efficiency tools—can help, but only if farmers understand their economics.

“If growing food isn’t going to be profitable for everybody, then you have to be aware of other opportunities,” Blundy explained, pointing to capital grants and partially funded investments designed to improve resilience.