Category Archives: Common Agricultural Policy
Hollow Promises: A Brexit impact assessment
Can it really be two years since the Earthquake struck and the UK voted to leave the EU? It seems both much longer, and no time at all. So, on this anniversary, I thought it would be timely to explore … Continue reading
Health and Harmony? Government consultation on future of agriculture reveals no new detail
Last week was a momentous one in the life of farmers and anyone who take an interest in our food. The National Farmers Union (NFU) took the historic step of appointing a woman to be its President – it’s … Continue reading
Where now for UK Agriculture?
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has created a huge set of risks and threats, but also some opportunities. One opportunity is to change the course of farming policy and practice. For 40 years the UK was subject … Continue reading
Guest Blog: Agri-environment – a need for detailed scrutiny, by Steve Peel
As the process of changing from an European agriculture policy into a UK one starts, I’m delighted to publish a guest blog by former Natural England grassland specialist Steve Peel. Steve looks at how … Continue reading
The First New Agriculture Act in 70 years creates an opportunity for farming, food and nature
The UK is to have its first new major Agriculture Act since 1947. There have been minor Agriculture Acts which made amendments to the 47 Act (eg in 1970) and in 1986, but by then agriculture was governed by rules … Continue reading
Sheepwrecked or a World Heritage Site? Thoughts on the Lake District
As the inevitability of President Theresa May being crowned on June the 9th seems without doubt now, we are hurtling, possibly out of control towards the exit, or rather the hard Brexit. This means the UK tumbles out of the … Continue reading
A further peep behind the curtain of Defra’s thinking about Environment and Agriculture after Brexit
Thanks to the impending General Election, Defra has allowed us another peep behind the curtain to show their thinking about the Environment and Agriculture after Brexit. A hastily thrown together response to the House of Lords EU Environment and Energy … Continue reading
A Pebble in the Pond: People Need Nature report on opportunities for farming, food & nature after Brexit.
I’m delighted to be able to tell you about this new report which is published today. It’s the first People Need Nature policy report – A Pebble in the Pond: Opportunities for farming, food … Continue reading
clean ponds and encouraging bees: Bayer influences public debate on future of farm subsidies
A public survey, paid for by mega Agrichemical industry business Bayer, has found that three quarters of the public supports farmers continuing to receive subsidies. So far the survey has received little publicity, just a couple of articles in the … Continue reading
Jam Tomorrow
Feeling rather sorry for myself for having succumbed to, what for me is a nasty cold (verging on man flu), I was restricted yesterday to watching the Tory Party Conference. What gems and treasures lay strewn across its shiny (though … Continue reading
