Sustainable Farming

Rising costs and modern grazing techniques have seen an Oxfordshire farm lead trials to gain valuable insight into commercial beef systems in the UK. Ellie Layton reports.

Farmers must not be forced to feed sheep a methane-suppressing diet which disrupts natural and well-established grazing systems, National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker has warned. 

Soaring energy costs are forcing some farmers to consider cutting production, posing a food security risk.

The Government is being urged to put together a water strategy to protect food security, as farmers struggle with drought conditions across the south and east of the country.

Farm-based solar projects will be an important part of the energy mix going forward but ’mega’ arrays of ground mounted panels will continue to face opposition, the NFU has said.

The National Drought Group has this week warned that a ‘complete gear change’ is needed to avoid a repeat of this summer’s water shortage.

Carbon audits across Scotland have increased by almost 50 per cent over the past six months compared to 2021, according to SAC Consulting.

Farmers in Canada are the latest to take to the streets as protests against fertiliser curbs and rising costs gather pace across the globe. 

More than half of consumers (59 per cent) believe buying local, seasonal food is the most sustainable shopping choice people can make, according to a new Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey.

The countryside has been set ablaze as heatwaves during July and August resulted in tinder box conditions, with more than 500 reports of farm fires reported to NFU Mutual.