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ARABLE

Tips on achieving healthy hedgerows on farm

Hedges are a defining feature of our countryside and one of the best habitats for wildlife on any farm.  Far more than being a boundary, they also support farm business…

LIVESTOCK

How feeding methane inhibitors can help cut emissions

Methane inhibitors supplied in feed rations could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ruminants. However, no one size fits all, advises Annie Williams, ruminant nutritionist and…

BUSINESS

Alternative land uses: Woodland creation - key points

Financial support for woodland creation and management in England is at record levels, so it could be the right time to consider this as an option. Talk of reducing sheep…

CARBON

Carbon markets: A beginner's guide

The UK’s carbon markets are growing, but there is confusion around the principles. Farmers Weekly asks CLA adviser Matthew Doran how they work. See also: Mineral rights - what farmers…

BUSINESS

Rural housing: Options to decarbonise and improve efficiency

From period farmhouses to farmworkers’ cottages, rural housing comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all share similar challenges when it comes to energy. Rural properties off the mains…

ARABLE

How 'mega-cluster' project benefits farming and nature

A project linking farmers and private investors across a 12,500ha area of Sussex is aiming to support nature recovery and food production on a landscape scale.  The Weald to Waves…

Case studies

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Benefits of sward lifting for profit and environment

A decade of sward lifting on a Cornish farm has prevented run-off after heavy rainfall, shortened the winter housing period and is helping soils to sequester carbon. A typical field…

CARBON

Pioneering arable farm sells carbon credits to top F1 team

A pioneering arable farm in Leicestershire has become the first farm in the UK to sell measured carbon credits to a range of buyers on the open market, including the…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How farmer uses biodynamic approach to establish crops

For the past two decades, Wiltshire mixed farmer Richard Gantlett has been using the power of biodynamic farming to grow crops completely free of chemicals and without the plough. With…

BIODIVERSITY

Wild grey partridge project promotes biodiversity and profit

A decade-long wild grey partridge project establishing cover crop field margins at a Scottish farming estate has proved an effective way to promote biodiversity and reap an economic return. Balgonie…

COVER CROPS

Cover crop trial reveals impact of grazing on nitrates

Since winning the title of Farmers Weekly Environmental Farmers of the Year, Emma and James Loder-Symonds have been busy trialling the impact of grazing cover crops. The cover crop trial…

CARBON

World’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery founded

The world’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery, founded by farmer’s son Renwick Drysdale in Scotland, is seeking to help meet surging demand for tree planting and habitat restoration projects. The…

Insights

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BIODIVERSITY

How beneficial insects can help nature and food production

It will come as little surprise to many to learn that a long-running study into insect populations in cereal crops – the Sussex Study – has shown a decline, linked…

ARABLE

Wetter farming: Growing typha for the construction industry

Field trials at the Horsey Estate in the Broads National Park are under way as part of a project investigating the growing of wetland crops to be used in the…

BUSINESS

How farms are generating income from the environment

Flood-prone land in west Norfolk that is difficult to farm productively is being turned into wetland – thanks to a mix of public funding and private investment. Using “blended finance”…

ENVIRONMENT

How industry is baselining emissions on farm

Baselining, the latest environmental buzzword, looks at emissions and carbon stores on individual farms, providing an initial marker against which progress can be measured. At a larger scale, across hundreds…

CARBON

Analysis: Can Welsh tree cover plans work for farmers?

One of the most repeated complaints about the Welsh government’s plans for future rural support is that farmers will be required to plant 10% of their land with trees and…

ARABLE

How arable farms can support farmland bird populations

A good, varied arable rotation, along with winter bird food stewardship options and a variety of hedges, will provide most of what farmland birds need to survive and thrive. Adding…

DAIRY

Revised methane method pegs dairy emissions 20% lower

Net carbon emissions from a sample of livestock farms fell significantly when analysed by a carbon methodology that accounts for biogenic methane. Distinguishing between biogenic (methane from ruminants) and fossil…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

How supply chain is meeting UN sustainable development goals

The UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) are rising up the agenda of businesses that buy from UK farmers and supply them with goods and services. Set out in 2015, they are…

Latest environment news

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PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Defra to bankroll delayed payments for flood-hit farmers

The UK government is ramping up support for flood-hit farmers with new investments, including significant funds for internal drainage boards (IDBs) and a refreshed approach to funding distribution. Defra’s Farming…

DAIRY

Amazon boss injects £7.3m into cattle methane vaccine project

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has invested millions of pounds into a pioneering project aimed at developing a vaccine that would reduce methane emissions from cattle. Researchers at the Pirbright Institute…

ENVIRONMENT

Farmer concern at 'impartiality' of National Park consultation

NFU Scotland (NFUS) has written to the Scottish government, challenging the impartiality of NatureScot, which has this week launched the official consultation into the proposed Galloway National Park. The letter…

NEWS

Sugar-based aviation crucial for net-zero push, says NI FFA

UK sugar beet growers could help mitigate climate change and obesity if the aviation industry switches to biofuels, including ethanol produced from sugar, a Northern Ireland-based campaign group has claimed.…

ENVIRONMENT

Banks asked to rethink support for sustainable farming

A radical new approach is needed by banks to help farm businesses adapt and achieve environmental targets, new research shows. The Soil Association Exchange, with funding from the British Business…

AIR AND WATER

Somerset farmers demand EA action to prevent flooding

Farmers in Somerset are urging the Environment Agency (EA) to intensify efforts to prevent flooding on the Somerset Levels, especially as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme…

ENVIRONMENT

Consumers value nature over food shows survey

Rural voters believe that government payments to farmers should support nature restoration, even at the cost of food production. A poll by Stack on behalf of The Conservative Environment Network…

ENVIRONMENT

Phil Stocker appointed chair of Dartmoor Land Use Group

Defra has appointed National Sheep Association chief executive Phil Stocker as the independent chair of the newly created Dartmoor Land Use Management Group. The group has been formed following last…

ENVIRONMENT

Welsh government pays Natural Resources Wales £19m tax bill

The Welsh government recently made a £19m payment to the HMRC on behalf of its environmental agency, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), following a tax probe. The investigation centred on NRW’s…

NEWS

Farmers deserve recognition for 'green credentials' says NFUS

Scottish farmers and crofters must be properly recognised for their contributions to environmental sustainability, which underpin the global reputation of Scottish food and drink. That was the main message from…

ENVIRONMENT

Plane lace bugs pose threat to UK woodland

An invasive insect species, known as the plane lace bug, has been found in the UK for the first time since 2006. Plane lace bugs originated in North America and…

ENVIRONMENT

Campaigners call for assessment of Lincs electricity plans

Campaign group No Pylons Lincolnshire is urging the government to carry out a cumulative impact assessment of the “Great Grid Upgrade” in the area, which it says threatens more than…

Video

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AIR AND WATER

Video: FW Investigates - would dredging reduce flooding?

The past few months of relentless wet weather have again highlighted the pressing issue of how best to manage rivers and watercourses near farmland. Heavy rainfall events are becoming more…

NEWS

Video: Farmer defends his actions on River Lugg

A Herefordshire farmer who was jailed for causing damage to a protected river has defended his actions, insisting they helped prevent flooding to local properties and land. Several homes along…

SHEEP

Video: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheep

Results from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of…