21/11/24 Hedges, intensive pig farming, sustainable food systems

England's hedges are in need of urgent revival - that's the conclusion of a survey of hedges, the first in 17 years. The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has been looking at hedges for Natural England and says that while they are in better condition than 2007, when the last survey was done, the overall length remains largely unchanged. That's bad news for the government which aims to restore or plant 45,000 miles of hedgerow by 2050

Over the past few years there has been a lot of pressure on pig producers and that's meant change. According to the levy board ADHB , just five abattoirs now control 88% of the throughput of pigs, with three big companies now owning around half of the sows in England. The UK has a reputation for higher welfare standards: 50% of piglets are born outside not in farrowing crates, and more than 70% of pigs are fattened indoors on straw. We visit a pig farm in Lincolnshire that produces 800 pigs a week for a large processor as well as local butchers and the farm's own shop.

The campaign group Sustain wants food produced to high welfare standards and in a way that protects nature and tackles climate change as well as providing good jobs. They don't believe intensive farming is the best way of achieving that.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney