Nine winners of the NFU’s Farmvention competition have earned themselves the title of Climate Superheroes, having exhibited their ideas for new inventions and technologies specifically designed to aid climate-smart farming and food production.
The event took place at the House of Commons, where children from the winning schools were able to showcase their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills and knowledge to MPs, as they exhibited practical tools that they have developed for sustainable farming.
The focus of the NFU’s Farmvention competition this year was the British farming aim of being net-zero by 2040. Hundreds of children from across the country proposed designs for the competition, including smart irrigation systems and an all-season greenhouse.
Students at the event were awarded a trophy to mark the occasion while winning schools were given a prize of £1,000 to spend on STEM or outdoor learning equipment.
NFU president Minette Batters presented the children with their trophies, commenting: “There has been a huge focus on climate change this year, so it’s only right that we celebrate our Climate Superheroes – not just the farmers who deliver sustainable food for our plates every day, but the creatives and scientists who come up with the new technologies that enable us to do it.”
Ms Batters added: “The best thing was seeing each project demonstrating a real understanding of the needs of farming and food production, as well as an impressive element of creativity, innovation, scientific knowledge and skill. Farming is a fantastic way to teach STEM subjects in a practical and meaningful way.
The Climate Superheroes showcasing their projects today included:
- Alfie Roberts from Shoreham Village School – invented a waste-saving app
- The Edenham Home Edders from Bourne Tuition – designed drones to help solve problem of flooding in Lincolnshire
- Gregory Laycock-Hammond from Yatton Junior School – investigated and built a greenhouse for all seasons
- Class 2 at Wark Primary School – invented the Sensor Sprinkler 2021 to reduce water waste
- Dean Araj, Pip Bimson and Ben Sullivan from City of London Freemens School – designed a vertical farming system to enable crops to be grown in salt marshes
- Aryan Soni from Wootton Park School – invented a ‘Smart Irrigation’ system
- Millie Nabarro from Thomas’ Clapham – developed a carbon labelling system for British flowers
- Samay Kachalia from Merchant Taylors School – developed the C-shift: a carbon recovery and soil injection device
- Roland Christopher from Kings – investigated and designed an Arduino based lighting system for growing crops
