Reducing pressures from agriculture is key to improving the status of Europe’s rivers, lakes, transitional, coastal waters and seas as well as groundwater bodies. A European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment, published today, shows that wider uptake of sustainable agricultural management practices is needed for improving the state of water, as well as biodiversity. Read more […]

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Landmark Agriculture Bill becomes law Defra  ‘Transformative legislation setting out how farmers and land managers in England will be rewarded in future with public money for “public goods” passes into law Legislation that will unleash the potential of agriculture has passed into UK law today (11 November). The Government’s landmark Agriculture Bill was introduced to […]

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Defra ‘There has been coverage in the Guardian and ENDS Report of ongoing work by the Environment Agency to examine whether more than 50 sites that supply salad and vegetables to supermarkets and other businesses are discharging chemical pollution into rivers and streams. This follows an EA investigation into the salad supplier Bakkavor that found it was discharging […]

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‘Angling Trust calls for well-resourced enforcement and monitoring in response to Defra’s consultation on the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) 05 August 2020 For over forty years, the EU Commons Agricultural Policy (CAP) has directed how land is farmed and managed in the UK. The departure from the EU and CAP gives us the opportunity […]

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Defra The new Agriculture Bill has been published ‘A future where farmers are properly supported to farm more innovatively and protect the environment is a step closer today following the introduction of the Agriculture Bill. The landmark legislation introduced today will provide a boost to the industry after years of inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy […]

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He is the best Defra Minister for the last eight years. His speeches are thoughtful and not simply driven by politically correct automaton and so for those interested in the huge interactions between landuse, agriculture and water and the environment these speeches provide a useful update on thinking. Oxford Farming Conference 2019 address by the […]

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The Welsh Assembly is introducing new regulations covering the whole of Wales to protect water quality from agricultural pollution. The regulations will come into force in January 2020 with transitional periods for some elements to allow farmers time to adapt and ensure compliance. The regulations will include the following measures: nutrient management planning sustainable fertiliser […]

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The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s Scrutiny of the Agriculture Bill report calls on the Government to ensure imported food products are held to current British standards as part of any future trade deal. Read the conclusions and recommendations Read the full report: Scrutiny of the Agriculture Bill The inquiry was launched alongside the […]

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