Farm Gate

In Wheat from the Chaff (WFTC) ffinlo Costain (Editor-in-Chief of 8point9.com) and Phil Carson (UK Policy Lead for the Nature Friendly Farming Network) talk through the week's news on 8.9ha. This is a new format - please bear with us - any feedback welcome! SHOW NOTES: Red Tractor’s voluntary environment module available from next April https://8point9.com/red-tractors-voluntary-environment-module-available-from-next-april/ Budget cut adds to “unprecedented challenges” for Welsh farming https://8point9.com/budget-cut-adds-to-unprecedented-challenges-for-welsh-farming/ Nature charities publish Nature Markets Principles to help combat greenwashing https://8point9.com/nature-charities-publish-nature-markets-principles-to-help-combat-greenwashing/ Experts warn of risk of civil unrest in UK due to food shortages https://8point9.com/experts-warn-of-risk-of-civil-unrest-in-uk-due-to-food-shortages/ World entering uncharted climate territory – Earth’s conditions may be unliveable for half the world’s population by 2100 https://8point9.com/world-entering-uncharted-climate-territory-earths-conditions-may-be-unliveable-for-half-the-worlds-population-by-2100/ Rubber drives deforestation three times faster than previously thought https://8point9.com/rubber-drives-deforestation-three-times-faster-than-previously-thought/ 8.9 TV: David Webster, Chief Executive, LEAF Marque https://8point9.com/david-webster-leaf-marque/ Antje Ahrends, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Rubber deforestation https://8point9.com/antje-ahrends-royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh-rubber-deforestation/

This week ffinlo is joined by four of the new 2024 Nuffield Scholars - by Saba Amir, an academic at Aberystwyth University - Lucy George from Peterston Tea, based in the Vale of Glamorgan - Sophie Gregory, an Arla organic dairy farmer from Dorset - and Dan Jones, a sheep farmer from Great Orme in North Wales. We also hear interviews with David Webster, the new Chief Executive of LEAF Marque - and with Tim May, from the Kingsclere Estate and the Pitch Up! initiative.

An interview with plant ecologist Dr Ruth Mitchell from The James Hutton Institute about visible and invisible forest diversity. And this week's 8.9ha Discussion is on Labour party policy on land use, trade and agriculture. ffinlo Costain is joined by Phil Carson, the UK Policy Lead for the Nature Friendly Farming Network, and by Vicki Hird, author of Rebugging the Planet, and Strategic Lead on Agriculture with The Wildlife Trusts.

The Scottish Government has unveiled its long-awaited Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill. This will replace the Common Agricultural Policy and aims to deliver the adoption and use of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. To discuss the bill, I’ll be joined later in the programme, by Nikki Yoxall, a member of Scotland's Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board - by Andrew Connon, the vice president of the National Farmers Union, Scotland - and by Denise Walton, the chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network Scotland. Before that we’ll hear from Elsie Blackshaw from the Rewildling Law Hub, and from Anna Woodley from Trinity Natural Capital Pro Council.

Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy is a regenerative farm that has undergone total transformation - from 365 days a year indoor to fully regenerative. They were also the hosts of this summer's Down To Earth regen farming conference in the north of England, put on by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. ffinlo Costain is joined by Jenny and Mark Lee from Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy, who tell him about what they've achieved and why they've made the transition. Online: https://torpenhoworganic.co.uk/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torpenhow.cheese.co/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torpenhoworganic

Today we have two interviews, followed by a fantastic discussion about regenerative agriculture and the use of glyphosate. INTERVIEW 1: The Food, Farming and Countryside Commission has unveiled research, which shows that the British public reject “nanny state” excuses and instead overwhelmingly back state intervention to tackle our health, climate and nature crises. Dr Courtney Scott is the Director of Policy and Research at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission – ffinlo Costain asks her whether politicians are more interested in the so-called “nanny state” than citizens? INTERVIEW 2: The Global Terrorism Index 2023 shows that the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are also experiencing poverty, weak governance and conflict. Food and water scarcity - in part linked to climate change - act as a threat multiplier, accelerating instability. David Wells is an independent global security consultant and former head of research and analysis for the Counter-Terrorism Directorate of the United Nations. ffinlo asks him how climate change is affecting terrorist recruitment globally? DISCUSSION: This week's debate on 8point9.com has been centred on whether glyphosate is critical to regenerative farming. There are plenty of passionate farmers on both sides of this argument - but we invited Attila Kökény, a regenerative agriculture consultant from Hungary, and Marcus Link from New Foundation Farms to address this question in a series of articles. In this programme the debate becomes a conversation.

Discussion - Is low carbon beef an out-of-date answer to the wrong question? Interviews with Jo Raven from FAIRR, Professor Imke de Boer from Wageningen University & Research, and Dr Michelle Cain from Cranfield University.

ffinlo Costain, the Editor-in-Chief of 8point9.com, is joined by Jamie Evans-Freke from Knight Frank and Gabriel Connor-Streich from Greenshank Environmental. The discussion is on nutrient neutrality - and what on earth happened in the UK Parliament this week when the government tried to scrap existing rules and force through a new, under-considered system, using an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. Well - spoiler alert - they failed - but why, what next and how did the markets react?

In part one we hear three interviews. With: David McCulloch from Tilhill on the urgent need to increase productive UK forestry for wood Niamh Carr from The James Hutton Institute on proposals for a green hydrogen powered farm And Stéphanie Mielnik from the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute about the risk to investors if they buy bonds from companies with links to illegal deforestation.

This episode of 8.9 Newsweek features interviews with Professor Sir Dieter Helm, and Sofía Condés, Head of Investor Outreach at the FAIRR Initiative.