06/03/2025 - What do Trump's tariffs mean for global agri-trade?, James Dyson's farm, sustainable potatoes
American farmers are being urged to produce more by their president. Mr Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on goods, including agricultural produce, from Canada and
Mexico, and both countries are imposing retaliatory tariffs on American goods. As is China, which is the biggest market for US agriculture products.
So what might this all this mean for them, for us and for global trade? For This Natural Life on BBC Radio 4, Martha Kearney visits Sir James Dyson on his farm in Somerset to hear what the natural world means to him, and how that is being reflected in his approach to farming.Continuing our topic this week: supply chains, the many hands food goes through on its way from farm to fork. Controlling what happens at every stage can be a challenge, but that's what one Welsh producer is trying to do so they can make the supply chain more sustainable. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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05/03/2025 - Pig supply chain, blossom watch and a charity farm for women
New rules for the pig supply chain are due to be introduced this Spring to help even-up what DEFRA describes as a 'power imbalance' between farmers and processors. The rules have been developed after a crisis in the industry caused by a combination of Brexit and Covid - when back in 2021, a shortage of staff at processing sites left farmers unable to send their pigs for slaughter, despite having contracts in place. So how much difference will it make?We find out about a project called FruitWatch, being run by the University of Reading, which monitors blossom emergence and fruit using pictures and comments sent in by members of the public.And we visit Fallowlees Farm - a charity farm set up after the Covid lockdowns to give women in Newcastle the chance to experience rural Northumberland. Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
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04/03/25 - The cost of avian flu, apple supply chain and soy-free dairy cow feed
Bird flu continues to hit poultry farms across the country with 49 cases in England, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Scotland. We hear from one farmer about the hidden cost of having an outbreak - from £10,000 worth of wasted eggs to the loss of the next 2 years of business.We visit a distribution centre for the AGPO growers’ co-operative based in Kent, where apples and pears are delivered daily from nearby nitrogen cold storage facilities before being sent on to supermarkets.And a trial at the University of Nottingham on dairy cattle has suggested that removing soya completely and using alternatives, can actually lead to an increase in milk production. Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons
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03/03/25 - Solar farms on tenant farms, the wisdom of retired fishermen and supply chain fairness
The Tenant Farmers Association says the Government's decision to allow a solar project on farmland in Yorkshire is 'crushing' for farmers who rent land. Harmony Energy can now build a solar farm with battery storage on land owned by the Fitzwilliam Trust near Malton. The tenant farmers who currently farm there have campaigned for the past four years to halt the project.Fishing is facing a shortage of workers – fewer people are coming from the European Union to work, and many older fishermen who retire aren't being replaced. At South Devon College they’re hoping to attract new recruits to the industry - we go to event in collaboration with the charity the Fishermen’s Mission, where the older generation of fishermen met those just starting out or considering a career at sea. And we hear from the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator. Farmers have long had concerns about the way supply chains work, saying they shoulder too much of the risk, and don't reap enough of the rewards. To help, an Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator has been appointed - in the first instance to enforce new rules aimed at improving transparency and fairness in the dairy sector. Similar regulations to cover pigs are expected this spring and then the plan is to look at eggs and fresh produce.Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Heather Simons
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01/03/25 - Farming Today This Week: NFU Conference, Climate Change Committee report, bulbs for methane, beavers, ploughing.
The re-introduction of inheritance tax on farm assets dominated this year's National Farmers Union Conference in London. The Union President told delegates farming is facing its biggest crisis of confidence in his lifetime. Facing a frosty reception, the DEFRA Secretary Steve Reed announced a new Farm Profitability Unit to be set up with the department, but told farmers he couldn't give them the answers they wanted on inheritance tax. Elsewhere, the conference focused on growth in agriculture - through investment, exports and tech. The Climate Change Committee has called for a transformation in agriculture in its latest report. The CCC advises the UK government on ways to reduce emissions in order to meet net zero by 2050. Its 7th report sets out a plan from 2038 to 2042, and recommends a 27% drop in the number of cattle and sheep, and that we all eat less meat.The government's allowing the re-introduction of beavers into the wild in England. Up until now they've only been allowed to be released into enclosures - though there have also been some illegal releases. Wildlife groups will need a licence and to get that they'll need a 10 year plan showing the impact beavers are expected to have. The National Farmers Union has argued that farmers should be able to kill beavers should they end up in the wrong place. Scientists at Scotland's Rural College have been feeding cattle an extract from daffodil bulbs to help reduce methane. The ground-breaking research aimed at reducing emissions is called "dancing with daffodils".We round off with a bit of tradition and competition. The European Ploughing Championships are being held in Nottinghamshire we catch up with a ploughing champion who's one of the organisers
Ireland