Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. -11 H

    03/02/26 Ban of electric shock collars for cows, grey squirrels, new egg business

    The RSPCA is updating its welfare standards for dairy cattle under its RSPCA Assured scheme. The changes come into operation this April and include: more access to pasture - a minimum of 120 days a year; changes to rules around transport of pregnant cows; and use of RSPCA Assured slaughterhouses. The changes also mean that electronic collars, which are used instead of fencing, will be banned under the scheme. Grey squirrels are a big problem for foresters. They strip off bark and leave trees dead or deformed. They also spread squirrel pox disease which kills native red squirrel populations. The government's issued a new policy statement on managing grey squirrels in England. It includes financial incentives and advice to help landowners take action, and it encourages a more collaborative approach to control numbers. All week we're looking at people who are starting out in farming. Rodrigo Navarro is a former chef and last May he set up a free-range egg business in Hampshire. He started as part of the Pitch Up scheme, which matches newcomers with large landowners or estates. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  2. -1 J

    02/02/26 Scottish Environment Bill, Ramblers report, new entrants.

    Scotland has introduced legislation to set legal targets on nature restoration and halt the loss of biodiversity. The Scottish Government says this will ensure that the country is 'on a bold ambitious journey to be nature positive by 2030'. The Natural Environment bill, which was passed by the Scottish parliament last week, also gives ministers new powers over land use and deer management. The right to roam in Scotland, which gives people access rights, is being 'hollowed out' by a lack of money according to a new report from the walkers’ group Ramblers Scotland. It says that some of the essential infrastructure needed to ensure the rights of both walkers and land managers has disappeared, with too few local staff to handle issues when people don't stick to the rules, and not enough money spent on maintaining paths. All week we're talking about new entrants: the people who come into farming with no family farm to work on, or inherit. The vast majority of farmers who own land pass it on to other members of the family, so it can be hard for people from outside the industry to get hold of land. Land is expensive too, which forms another barrier. Tenant farms where all or some of the land is rented make up about a third of farmland in England, but getting a tenancy is hard work and again requires some capital. One rural charity, The Addington Fund, has set up a new new entrant scheme to help people get a foot on the farming ladder. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    12 min

  3. -3 J

    31/01/26 Farming Today This Week: Sustainable Foods 2026, extreme weather and rural resilience, octopus bloom

    Sustainable Foods 2026: a conference in London which brings together big food companies, supermarkets, producers and scientists in a drive to transform our food systems - but what does it mean for agriculture? Flooded farmers say government needs to spend more on infrastructure to make rural communities are more resilient in the face of climate change. The secret lives of octopus, revealed in new report. Their numbers have increased dramatically - what is the impact on the fishing industry? Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    25 min

  4. -4 J

    30/01/26 Extreme weather and rural resilience, biochar, rare breed cattle

    The weather has dominated life for many this month, from storms and flooding in South West England to snow and rain in parts of Scotland, flooding in Northern Ireland and strong winds and rain across Wales. Rural communities and the leader of Devon County Council have called on the government for urgent financial support because of the impact of this month's storms, particularly on roads and railways saying more frequent rough weather highlights the need for more investment. All this week we are talking sustainable systems - whether that's how we farm or how we make farming a more economically sustainable and resilient business. The University of Lincoln has been working with a Nottinghamshire farmer on an innovative project called ‘Reverse Coal’, which has just won a national sustainability award. We visit Pollybell Farms to find out more about biochar. A tale of legacy, love and rare breeds: Clifford Freeman farms in Gloucestershire where he has the world's biggest herd of Gloucester cattle. He is also the custodian of his father's collections of rare breed sheep and pigs and vintage farm wagons. Eric Freeman was a farmer, broadcaster and rare breeds pioneer. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  5. -5 J

    29/01/26 Sustainable food and what that means for farming

    Sustainable Foods 2026 - a conference in London which brings together big food companies, supermarkets, producers and scientists in a drive to transform our food systems - but what does it mean for agriculture? Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  6. -6 J

    28/01/26 Octopus, gene-edited oilseed rape, sheep dog training

    Warmer waters have brought large number of octopus to coastal waters around the South West over the past year. Now, the University of Plymouth has published a report bringing together evidence from scientists, the fishing industry and citizen scientists to reveal more about what's known as the 'octopus bloom'. What can it tell us about the changing marine environment, the consequences for sea life, and the impact on fishing? The on-farm science group BOFIN is starting a three-year £2.5 million project funded through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme. It'll be growing the first commercial trial of precision-bred oilseed rape, which will be resistant to light leaf spot. Sheepdog training and competitions have captivated TV audiences for decades, and watching sheepdogs in action in the field is one of the privileges of farming. We speak to sheepdog trainer Nij Vyas as he puts one of his students through her paces. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  7. 27 JANV.

    27/01/2026 Heating rural homes, vertical farm, cost of nature-friendly farming

    The Government's new Warm Homes plan has been set up to help people switch to eco-friendly heating systems for their homes, such as air source heat pumps and solar panels. The scheme will provide £15 billion in grants. The five year plan has been welcomed by the energy industry, but some see it as a missed opportunity. We ask the Rural Services Network what's in it for rural communities. Vertical farming has been hailed as one of the ways to feed the world's growing population, expected to increase to nearly ten billion by 2050. Crops are grown indoors, under artificial light. This method of farming can use less water and fewer chemicals than outdoor crops but does use a lot of energy. We find out why Scotland’s Rural College has just opened its own full-scale vertical farm in Edinburgh. Making sure that a farm is sustainable and productive over the long-term - without ruining the environment or damaging wildlife - can be expensive. A young food activist and a farmer explore how this can be done with environmentalists and campaigners for better food networks. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  8. 26 JANV.

    26/01/26 Timber security, feoijas, basic income for farmers.

    Forestry experts are warning that the UK needs to plant more trees for timber. We import around 80% of the timber we use, but there are fears of a shortage of wood for house building, pallets or fencing if more conifer plantations aren't created. MPs on the all party group on forestry are discussing the issue. We speak to the industry body Confor which says we can grow they type of wood we need. Feijoas are a popular fruit in New Zealand but a bit of a mystery to most Brits. The fruit isn't really imported and until now it wasn't grown here. Well, that changed when a New Zealander in Sussex had an idea. We meet the couple behind a new growing enterprise. All week we're focusing on sustainability in farming, whether that's from an environmental point of view, resilience in supply chains or from a financial perspective. Farming is seasonal and unpredictable, which can make it hard to plan financially - veg growers for example find it hard to predict how much they'll earn from one month to the next. Margins are tight and prices don't necessarily reflect the cost of production. We speak to a producer and campaigner who's part of a cooperative which would like to see a basic income for all farmers. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    12 min
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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  • Création
    BBC Radio 4
  • Années d’activité
    2007 - 2026
  • Épisodes
    34
  • Classification
    Tous publics
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Site web de l’émission
    Farming Today

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