Farm Gate

In this week's programme we'll hear interviews with candidates from three of the parties standing across Britain in next week's UK general election - the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Green Party. The Labour party were unable to make anyone available for a conversation. Julia Aglionby, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Penrith and Solway - 01'0'' Simon Hoare, the Conservative candidate for North Dorset - 45'25'' Toby Hammond, the Green Party candidate for Beccles and Lowestoft -1,16'05'' A list of all candidates in the Penrith and Solway constituency: Julia Aglionby, Liberal Democrats Markus Campbell-Saviours, Labour Party Susan Denham-Smith, The Green Party Roy Ivinson, Independent Mark Jenkinson, The Conservative Party Chris Johnston, Independent Shaun Long, Social Democratic Party Matthew Moody, Reform UK A list of all candidates in the North Dorset constituency: Si Adams, Independent James Coldwell, Labour Party Simon Hoare, Conservative and Unionist Party Ken Huggins, Green Party Gary Jackson, Liberal Democrats Ash Leaning, Reform UK Lester Taylor, UK Independence Party Daniel Woodruffe, Social Democratic Party A list of all candidates for Beccles and Lowestoft: Peter Aldous, Conservative Jessica Asato, Labour Toby Hammond, Green June Mummery, Reform Adam Robertson, Lib Dem

Phil Carson and ffinlo Costain discuss what's on offer in the Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green and Labour manifestos, in terms of food, farming and nature.

Peter Byck talks about his new documentary series, Roots so Deep - 0'40'' John Gilliland talks about the ARC Zero project - 13'56'' Tom Johnstone from the Usk Catchment Partnership talks about giving nature a voice - 27'17'' Sarah-Jane Laing from Scottish Land & Estates talks about Scottish land reform - 41'22'' Robert Hindle from Rural Solutions on biodiversity net gain - 53'30''

We'll hear from Jerry Alford from the Soil Association, Beth Metson from the Soil Association Exchange - and Lauren Baker from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food will tell us that we need to respect farmer experience and indigenous knowledge as much as we do peer-reviewed science. I'll talk to Neil Nicholas from Coleg Sir Gar about slurry spreading, and Charlie Taverner from the FFCC will tell us what the UK government's got wrong about food security. First up, I discuss the 'Land squeeze’ report with Nettie Wiebe from IPES-Food. Nettie Wiebe, IPES-Food - 0' 42'' Lauren Baker, Global Alliance for the Future of Food - 11' 40'' Jerry Alford, Soil Association - 25' 40'' Beth Metson, Soil Association Exchange - 34' 42'' Neil Nicholas, Coleg Sir Gar - 44' 35'' Dr Charlie Taverner, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission - 52' 01''

Farming at its best - agroecological or regenerative farming - can deliver a broad range of positive environmental and social outcomes. But at its heart, farming is a business. To scale the positives we need to scale the business of regenerative and agroecological agriculture - and for that we need investment. Pelican Ag is a venture capital business that invests in regen ag technology - I wanted to know more about what venture capital is - how it can help regen ag - and what makes venture capitalists tick? ffinlo Costain talks to Pelican Ag founder partners, Christopher Ramsay and Simon Evill.

Six Inches of Soil is the hit UK film that traces the trials and tribulations of three young farmers who are each trying to work regeneratively with their land. Anna Jackson, farms an 800 acre mixed farm in Lincolnshire with her dad, Andrew - (0'50") Beef farmer Ben Thomas has 75 acres of field and agroforestry in Cornwall - (16'24") And Adrienne Gordon produces veges, salad and edible flowers in around four acres of market garden in Cambridgeshire - (29'36")

What exactly do the Soil Association mean by a Worm Hunt, and why do they want us to dance for these wriggly ecosystem warriors? Can venture capital really help to scale the transition to regenerative agriculture? Why has deer management become such a divisive issue in Scotland? And the latest UK Peatland Code revision is now open for consultation. Interviews with: Dr Renée Kerkvliet-Hermans from the IUCN UK Peatland Programme - 0'25'' Alex Burton, Head of Worms at the Soil Association - 7'57'' Simon Evill from Pelican Ag - 12'51'' Tom Turnbull from the Association of Deer Management Groups - 22'13''

Do we seriously need to chop down more trees to address the climate crisis? What about food? Is it possible to make a living from a third of an acre of land? In a world struggling with antimicrobial resistance - what's the WHO doing downgrading a whole class of antibiotics? And what about my farm - regenerative agriculture - it's a great idea, but it'll never work here! I speak to regenerative farming advisor, Tim Williams - 0'40'' Paul Brannen, the author of Timber! How wood can help save the world from climate breakdown - 12'50'' Dr Laura Higham a veterinary consultant for FAI Farms - 25'15'' And Ben Hartman the author of The Lean Micro Farm - 37'10''

Phil Carson (Nature Friendly Farming Network) and ffinlo Costain (8point9.com) discuss the week’s land use news - including: Government must deliver promised flood support, says CLA “Slurry pollution as damaging as sewage” NFFN unveils UK general election manifesto Farmers demand Universal Basic Income Research finds ten times more pests in insecticide-treated corn fields In-field crop diversity could deliver ecological resilience Urgent need for new approach to combat global grassland degradation

Five interviews today - on topics ranging from the constant struggle for tenant farmers to dangers of slurry pollution. 1'08'' Martin Lines from the Nature Friendly Farming Network discusses the NFFN's general election manifesto, which includes a call for a fit-for-purpose farming budget 12'29'' Peter Powell from the Welsh Dee Trust talks about the terrible impact farm slurry can have on rivers 20'34'' Vicky Vanderstichele from North Star Transition tells me that scale is critical when it comes to financing nature-based solutions 32'09'' George Dunn, the chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association, tells me about the often poor relationship between tenant farmers and their landlords 42'35'' And finally, Robin Walter from the Soil Association, makes the case for regenerative forestry.