The mammoth and the meatball

Whatʼs going on here? The mammoth and the meatball. Sounds like it could be one of Aesop’s fables, right? Well, the life lesson you could pick up from this article is about your future food choices, based on how the meat industry is shifting; this is spotlighted by the recent  creation of a meatball using cells that replicate that of the long-extinct…

Beyond Veganuary: How climate change is affecting our food supply, and what we can do about it.

an aerial photo of two harvester machines moving across a wheat field

It is well documented that our addiction to meat and dairy is harming the planet, emitting nearly 15% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Campaigns like Veganuary encourage us to switch to plant-based diets in order to reduce our impact on the climate. Because of this, veganism is on the rise and many of us, especially in January, are thinking more consciously…

Agroforestry: the future of farming?

A white sheep is in the centre of the frame looking towards the camera. It is standing on grass in-between two rows of trees. A group of sheep can be seen in the background underneath the canopy of the trees.

Agroforestry isn’t a new phenomenon; Indigenous peoples have been practising it for thousands of years, but it’s now gaining popularity across the globe. What is agroforestry?  Agroforestry is a land management approach in which trees are grown on the same area of land as crops or pasture. There are many types of agroforestry, but the two most common approaches are:  1. Silvopastoral…

Ancient water conservation methods resurface in Spain 💧

Acequia

What’s going on here? A project in Spain is restoring ancient water channels which have been around as far back as the mediaeval times. These channels are important for dealing with drought and the increasing demand for water from intensive farming. What does this mean? Acequias are networks of irrigation streams. They distribute water from snow melt in the Sierra Nevada mountains…

Neonicotinoids – What’s the buzz?

What’s Going On Here? After an application from the National Farmers Union (NFU) and British Sugar, last week Defra authorised the ‘emergency’ use of a neonicotinoid pesticide treatment on sugar beet crops planted in England in the 2022 season. In 2018, the EU banned all outdoor uses of neonicotinoids due to evidence that they cause harm to bees.  What Does This Mean? …

Post-Brexit biodiversity plans incite concern

tomatoes growing on a farm, with farmer in the background

What’s going on here? Under the EU, BUnder the EU, British farmers received grants through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Following Brexit, the government has promised to introduce the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), consisting of: The Sustainable Farming Incentive, Landscape Recovery and Local Nature Recovery schemes. ELMs promises the restoration of 300,000 hectares of land 2042 by paying farmers and landowners…