A dance music legend who became a regenerative farming pioneer will discuss his wild food vision at Norfolk's biggest agricultural conference.

The 2024 Norfolk Farming Conference has announced a diverse line-up of speakers for the event's return to the Norfolk Showground on February 6.

They include Andy Cato, a Grammy-nominated musician with electronic duo Groove Armada - but also a mixed livestock and arable farmer who co-founded Wildfarmed, which is working with growers embracing nature-friendly practices to improve biodiversity and soil health.

Mr Cato's story is part of the conference's opening session on land use and the "environmental cost of farming".

Other speakers include Jules Pretty, professor of environment and society at the University of Essex, Craig Livingstone, director of farming at Lockerley Estate, Dutch agricultural attaché Philip de Jong and NIAB director Dr Lydia Smith.

Session two, on how data can enhance farm sustainability, will feature Dr Tina Barsby, who chairs the British Farm Data Council, Agrimetrics chief executive David Flanders, and Lee Leachman, chief executive of Leachman Cattle of Colorado, USA.

There will also be a case study on collaborative data sharing in Norfolk, with Poul Hovesen and Dominic Swan of the Catalyst Farming partnership.

The afternoon sessions include presentations from the RNAA’s "next generation" of Norfolk Scholars, and a discussion on why diet and health matters to farming, with speakers including Sophie Throup, head of agriculture, fisheries and sustainable sourcing at Morrisons, and Josiah Meldrum, founder of Suffolk-based pulse and grain producer Hodmedod.

Tickets are on sale now for the conference, which is hosted by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA) and chaired by Agri-TechE director Dr Belinda Clarke.

There will be an opening address by Defra farming minister Mark Spencer, and the conference will be closed by Patrick Holden, founder of the UK Sustainable Food Trust.

RNAA managing director Mark Nicholas said: "I think it is a fantastic programme, and I believe there are some really interesting speakers coming to Norfolk to take part and discuss these key themes."