In his forward to this year’s Annual Review, Achim Dobermann, the Institute’s Director and Chief Executive, writes: “Often in life, progress depends on successful evolution…particularly so at times of great change.”

2018 has certainly been a time of great change. Major political schisms, both at home and abroad. Scientific breakthroughs. Regulatory upheavals. Economic uncertainties. Advancing climate change, demographic pressures, biodiversity losses.

New challenges, new opportunities.

As ever, Rothamsted faces this future with determination and optimism – borne from the knowledge of all we have faced and all we have achieved in our first 175 years of our existence.

It is this considerable experience that allows us to look ahead and offer some insights into how science and technology can help farming be done better– for the benefit of farmers, consumers and the planet. You can get a sense of that by watching any one of our 12 ‘Future Farming’ videos.

The Review gives a flavour of just some of what we’ve been up to this year, from an overview of our main research programmes; through a selection of our work in low and middle-income countries; to our industrial partnerships, where discovery science and innovation meet to make practical solutions available to the agricultural community.

It also highlights some of our outreach efforts, such as major news coverage, conversations on social media and, who could forget, this summer’s Festival of Ideas - where the more than 8,000 members of the public got to visit our Harpenden campus and speak with our scientists and staff first hand.

I hope you enjoy reading the Review, and that you have a peaceful and prosperous 2019.