Category Archives: Agriculture
EU cuts threaten wildlife conservation on agricultural land
Scientists fear cuts to the EU budget could threaten the continued persistence of wildlife on agricultural landscapes. Up to £400 million worth of funding provided through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could be stopped as a result of government spending … Continue reading
All party Parliamentary Conservation and Wildlife Group 11th May 2011 – Future Priorities of Natural England
The BES policy team yesterday attended a meeting of the All party Parliamentary Conservation and Wildlife Group. The meeting commenced with a talk about future priorities of Natural England from Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, followed by … Continue reading
National Trust commence Badger TB vaccination programme
The announcement of a badger TB vaccination trial on the National Trust’s Killerton Estate has been welcomed by both farmers and local environmental groups. The four year programme which will commence this May aims to show that vaccination is a … Continue reading
The true cost of nitrogen pollution
The European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA), a major new investigation, today released its findings revealing the environmental and economic cost of nitrogen pollution in Europe. The ENA, conducted by over 200 international experts, estimated that nitrogen pollution is already costing Europeans … Continue reading
Plans to revive badger cull in west Wales
Eight months ago plans to implement a badger cull in west Wales were put on hold following a winning appeal from the Badger Trust. The case has since been revived, and will tomorrow call upon Welsh Assembly Members (AMs) to … Continue reading
Climate smart farming at the Royal Society
The 2008 Climate Change Act commits the UK to 80% statutory greenhouse gases emissions (GHG) reduction by 2050. The agricultural industry is responsible for approximately 25%, 50%, and 80% of global anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and … Continue reading
Increasing demands threaten future food security
Today scientists warned that rising pressures on global resources threaten the future security of the planets food, after the results of the most comprehensive investigation into food security ever were published this morning. Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir John Beddington emphasised … Continue reading
New Commons Inquiry on ‘The impact of Common Agricultural Policy reform on UK Agriculture’
Press Notice from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee: The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will undertake an inquiry into the European Commission’s proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013. The inquiry will consider … Continue reading
Wild bird populations: farmland birds in England 2009
From the Society of Biology’s Science Policy weekly news update: Key results • The unsmoothed farmland bird population index for England, covering 19 species, decreased by 5 per cent between 2008 and 2009. The index is now at its lowest … Continue reading
Fungi used to make rice grow five times faster
Researchers in Switzerland have successfully inoculated rice with selectively bred mychorrhizal fungi which helps the plant grow faster in the acidic soils of tropical regions. Such fungi are known to help plants by extracting nutrients – in this case phosphate … Continue reading