Environment

Defra said there would be a 10 per cent increase in the average value of agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship schemes, driven by increased payment rates.

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said many farmers in her constituency who were currently undertaking positive environmental work are ‘ineligible' for the SFI scheme

Despite previous promises by Government that the land use strategy document would be published by the end of the year, the Farmers Guardian understands it has been delayed to some point next year

Organic Farmers and Growers chief executive Roger Kerr said there was a ‘whole industry out there built around pesticides and fertilisers' which wants organic to fail, but organic is a ‘defined farming system that can deliver a ‘low carbon, nature-friendly, people-positive' food system

The Environmental Audit Committee has expressed concerns that the Government's ambitious tree planting target for the UK was significantly off track and there was no clear path for the private sector

More than 1,300 members of the Public and Commercial Services union, including staff from Defra, RPA and Marine Management Organisation have called for a pilot scheme to analyse the benefits of a four day week on wellbeing and productivity

OF&G said a 'three fold increase' in organic land use area would reduce total agriculture-related greenhouse gas emissions equal to the carbon sequestered by third of million acres of broadleaved woodland

Speaking at CLA conference, she said the most important thing was collaboration, shared risk and working with the supply base, and ultimately the farmers, to build business resilience

The Environmental Audit Committee argued the framework must set out how land will balance producing food in a sustainable way that supports a resilient food system, while also responding to environmental change

Another meat industry body has made a complaint to a broadcasting regulator after Channel 4's The Big British Beef Battle documentary