Environmental

Despite recent rainfall, the Environment Agency is urging farmers, water companies, and the general public to maintain collective action on protecting water resources in preparation for future droughts and weather extremes.

The UK’s only two-day on-farm regenerative agriculture conference, Groundswell, sold out for another year, attracting over 6,500 attendees, with 75% either directly farming or involved in a farming enterprise.   

Rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths has recently visited Sealands Farm near Bridgend, South Wales, to learn about its sustainable farming practices that benefit the environment and business alike.

On-the-spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping are set to rise as the government moves to clamp down on anti-social behaviour that harms nature and communities, environment minister Rebecca Pow announced last week.

South London-based Gypsy Hill has become the first brewery in the world to create carbon negative beer without offsetting emissions by combining innovative brewing techniques with barley grown using regenerative farming methods.

A survey conducted by the Environment Agency has revealed that 18% of all waste produced in England may be illegally handled, with farmers reporting financial cost and visual blight as the main detrimental impacts of waste crime.

Morrisons has partnered with science-led data services company Downforce Technologies in its pursuit to optimise sustainable farming practices across five pilot sites, as part of the retailer’s ambition to become the first UK supermarket supplied by net zero carbon British farms by 2030.

To support diversity and biodiversity on their Shropshire farm, Mark and Liz Lea planted a woodland in February this year, supported by the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods scheme.

As demand for water continued to build amid what has potentially been the hottest June on record, a team of national experts met earlier this week to discuss plans to maintain drought resilience and ensure plentiful water supply across the country.

Farmers and growers around the world are increasingly having to adapt to the peculiarities of climate change, whether that means shifting drilling and harvest dates, ramping up disease control or moving to more regenerative practices. The non-profit organisation Just Farmers reached out to its farmer network this week to find out what climate change looks like from the field.

A consultation launched by Defra yesterday (28th June) is seeking views on how the government can best support farmers to protect and maintain hedgerows as it looks to put in place new legislation tailored to the needs of English farmers.

A group of 31 farmers from the Test and Itchen catchments in Hampshire are set to join the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) cooperative with the aim of delivering environmental benefits to the area, such as improved water quality and habitat restoration along the world-famous chalk streams.