Farming Today

BBC Radio 4
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. 23時間前

    23/04/26 Fertiliser, fossil fuels, recycling farm plastics.

    A new report warns that UK farming's reliance on imported fertiliser and minerals, puts it at risk in times of geopolitical stress. Analysis, published by the National Preparedness Commission, highlights the fragility of global supply chains on which UK agriculture depends. All week we've been looking at ideas for cutting emissions on the farm. Today we join Stuart Oates, a 7th generation farmer on The Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. He set himself a long term aim: to remove single-use plastics on the farm and end his family’s reliance on fossil fuels.  Towards that goal, he’s taken up a Nuffield scholarship, travelling the world to see if the UK can learn from innovations elsewhere, to reduce emissions.  We also hear from an organisation which helps farmers recycle their plastic waste. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分

  2. 1日前

    22/04/26 Bird flu jab for people, fairness in supply chain, vertical farming

    A new trial is starting this summer, as part of the third phase of a programme to develop a vaccine for people against bird flu. 3000 volunteers are needed from the UK to take part, and 1000 in the USA. Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Care Research are hoping that poultry workers might take part. Fuel and fertiliser costs are soaring because of disruption caused by the war in the Middle East. That's having a big impact on farmers and it's also putting pressure on food prices as MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs select committee have been hearing. They were told that food prices were 40% higher than before Covid and that the food supply chain needed urgent government support with fuel costs. All week we're hearing how farming is trying to cut down on the damaging emissions it can cause. One of the biggest growers in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire says it’s making its crop-growing more environmentally friendly by developing a giant one hectare high-tech greenhouse. The company says it’s drastically reduced crop spoilage, fertiliser and water use, while also making the UK less reliant on imports. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分

  3. 2日前

    21/04/26 Sustainable pork production, biochar and chicken muck, rare breed cattle

    The pig industry has published a new environmental roadmap to help the sector produce pork more sustainably. It's being led by the AHDB and will focus on things like reducing carbon, improving air quality, managing nutrients and waste and using on-farm energy. All this week we're looking at reducing emissions from farming - one poultry farmer in South Shropshire is trying out biochar, a type of charcoal, to help tackle the ammonia from chicken muck. White Park Cattle are an iconic native breed here in the UK, dating back to Roman Times. They're very distinctive, with white coats, black ears and noses. Their falling numbers back in the early 1970's was the start of the establishment of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust or RBST. Today the RBST has placed the breed on to the Most Urgent category of its Watch list, after a 36 percent fall in the number of calves registered since 2022. We visit one of the few remaining herds in Wales. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分

  4. 3日前

    20/04/26: Soybean ID, greenhouse gas emissions from farming, a moment to rethink fertiliser 'dependency'?

    The Ulster Farmers Union is calling for government help for farmers, because of the impact of the war in Iran on fuel and fertiliser prices. Amongst other things it suggests a one-off fertiliser support scheme and transparency in pricing. But a group of global sustainability experts says this is the moment that food systems should end what they call a dependence on synthetic fertilisers. As we've been reporting, the spike in energy prices because of the conflict in the Middle East has meant a spike in fertiliser prices. On top of that, a significant proportion of the world's fertiliser supplies also travels (or not) through the Strait of Hormuz. This week we're focussing on farmers' innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We begin with a look at the scale of the challenge. Scientists at Kew are using techniques associated with archaeological digs to test where soybeans have been grown. They hope it could help cut tropical deforestation associated with soybean production. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

    12分

  5. 5日前

    18/04/26 Farming Today This Week: Uplands report, national parks, impact of the middle east conflict on farms, waste crime

    A new independent report, commissioned by DEFRA, examines the unique challenges facing upland farmers and communities in England. We speak to the author of the report Dr Hilary Cottam. She has been asking people living and working in the uplands what they want for the future. Our National Parks mark their 75th anniversary this week. We hear about the importance of volunteers to the Peak District National Park, and we also visit a peatland restoration project in Bannau Brycheiniog, formerly the Brecon Beacons, in Wales. As the conflict in the Middle East continues, we've been reporting on the impact on farmers and food producers here in the UK who are facing pressure from increasing fuel and fertiliser costs. After farmers in the Republic of Ireland were offered a 100 million euro support package by their government to help cope with increasing costs, farmers in Northern Ireland are asking the UK government for more financial support too. Another impact of the war in Iran is the knock-on effect of spiralling fuel prices on the availability and cost of the plastic wrapping used for silage bales. With tractors already out in the fields cutting grass to make silage, an agricultural supply business tells us prices of some crop plastic may go up by as much as 40%. As the Environment Agency begins to clear thousands of tonnes of domestic and commercial rubbish from a huge flytipping site in Oxfordshire, we hear from the Country Land and Business Association who say that flaws in the application system to become a licensed waste carrier are making it easier for criminals to illegally dump waste at scale. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jo Peacey. A BBC Audio Bristol production.

    25分

  6. 6日前

    17/04/26 Uplands review, The Peak District National Park.

    The English Uplands are special and defined as areas of elevated land with rugged terrain from moorlands to mountains and typically above 300 metres. A new report "Towards a Flourishing Uplands: Phase 1" has called for more local decision making with a shift away top down directives. Dr Hilary Cottam lead the independent review for Defra. She's published 19 insights which she says, will help meet challenges faced by those who farm the land, as well as the demands of nature, the rural economy and communities. Dr Cottam spent time walking and talking in the uplands, from Devon to North Yorkshire, to find out what people really think of the current state of affairs, what they want for the future and how those visions differ. All this week here on Farming Today we've been looking at National Parks. The Peak District National Park was the first one and is 75. Local people have been a huge part of the Park since it was established thanks to a mass trespass on Kinder Scout, and local volunteers are vital to it today, helping restore paths, plant trees and maintain access for everyone to enjoy its beauty.  Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分

  7. 4月16日

    16/04/26 Lough Neagh dredging, concerns about government labs in Northern Ireland, National Park dark skies, rural church crime

    New research suggests that dredging is affecting water quality in Lough Neagh. Scientists from Queen's University Belfast believe that commercial dredging for sand which is widespread across the Lough has a deeper more harmful impact on ecosystems than originally thought. Serious concerns have been raised about weaknesses at Northern Ireland's Agri-food and Bio-sciences Institute. A report from the Health and Safety Executive highlighted issues with bio containment and the condition of the facilities. AFBI is an arm's length government body which carries out scientific research and also testing for diseases like bluetongue. The HSE report said that at the time of the inspection that testing was unsafe, with measures required to protect the environment. The Institute says action has been taken to 'to drive improvements and address all issues raised.' All this week we’ve been hearing from our National Parks, and today is the turn of Northumberland, covering much of Hadrian’s Wall and the vast Cheviot Hills, it sells itself as home to England’s cleanest rivers and darkest skies. It’s also the least visited and one of the most remote of the National Parks in England and Wales. Rural churches are a hotspot for theft and vandalism according to a new report from the Countryside Alliance. It got data from 37 police forces across the UK which shows that last year nearly 4,000 crimes at churches were recorded, in urban and rural areas, however it says churches in villages and countryside areas are particularly vulnerable. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分

  8. 4月15日

    15/04/2026 Fuel protests in Northern Ireland, waste licences, National Park peat restoration.

    Farmers in Northern Ireland have been holding tractor protests and blocking traffic. They’re asking for more financial help as they face rising fuel prices. The government in the Republic of Ireland has told farmers there, that 100 million euros are being made available to support them. The huge rises in fuel costs since the war in the Middle East, may be putting pressure on households across the UK, but farmers say their costs are being pushed so high, they could be facing a crisis for their businesses. The Country, Land and Business Association, the CLA, has revealed it made two bogus applications for licensed waste carrying. Businesses can apply for these licences and then charge people to take away their rubbish. The CLA made the applications to prove the system is flawed, one application was made on behalf of a cow called Beau Vine and another for a fictitious character called Laurie Load, both were approved by the online system, with no checks. National Parks are celebrating 75 years of existence and we're talking about them all week. Today, we’re heading to the Black Mountains in Bannau Bryceiniog or the Brecon Beacons as it's also known, where a peat land restoration project is making a big difference to the landscape. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14分
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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    BBC Radio 4
  • 配信期間
    07年 - 26年
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    28
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