Agroforestry: Seeing the food for the trees
The first meeting of ‘AGFORWARD’, an exciting EU funded research programme on agroforestry, was held at Cranfield University this week. The 4-year 6 million Euro project will be working with farmers and land owners in 15 countries across Europe to identify how agroforestry practices – farming with trees – can create profitable, productive, and environmentally […]
REA & STA challenge Government to set out its 2030 vision for renewables
The REA and STA are disappointed by the lack of ambition for renewable energy in the European Commission’s proposed 2030 energy and climate change framework, published today [1]. The framework sets a binding greenhouse gas target of 40% reduction (vs 1990 levels) and sets a binding renewable energy target for the EU as a whole […]
EU vote to withdraw methiocarb slug pellets
EU Member States have voted to withdraw approval for all methiocarb slug pellets, including Draza forte and Decoy Wetex. The vote means that approvals for all slug bait uses of methiocarb in the EU will be stopped. Publication of the amending regulation is expected by February. This is likely to allow continued sale of Methiocarb […]
Catchment Sensitive Farming grant scheme opens on 1 February
The grants scheme supports farmers to undertake practical works that will help improve water quality and reduce pollution from agricultural activity within the CSF project’s 77 catchment areas. More than 40 types of capital item are eligible, including installing water troughs, roofing manure and silage stores, and works to keep livestock away from streams. A […]
Researchers working with police force to combat fake pesticides
Work is currently taking place at the university in Shropshire, led by 52-year-old criminologist and postgraduate student, Chris Sambrook. The findings of this work hope to identify the risk factors associated with counterfeit pesticides and help the industry to reinforce their current counter-measures. In particular, Thames Valley Police are investigating the distribution and use of […]
Charity welcomes government position on grey squirrels
Following a meeting in Brussels of EU agriculture Ministers, the European Squirrel Initiative (ESI), Britain’s leading grey squirrel control charity, has welcomed the strong support for grey squirrel control shown by Owen Paterson MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The EU Environment Council meeting in December discussed the scope of […]
Three ministers to be quizzed by Lords on generating value from our waste
Three Ministers will give evidence next Tuesday 14 January to the Lords Committee investigating the potential wealth to be generated from waste. Michael Fallon MP, Minister of State for Business and Energy at BIS and Minister of State for Energy at DECC, Gregory Barker MP, Minister of State for Climate Change at DECC, and Dan […]
The CRT re-discovers the Mighty Midget
Dr Vince Lea, head of the CRT’s wildlife monitoring says: “The harvest mouse is a wonderful little animal weighing in at between 4-6 grams (below a quarter of an ounce) – less than the weight of a pound coin. The body is between 50-70mm (about two inches) and the incredible prehensile tail is about the […]
New reforms set to improve the way we manage our water supplies
Many individuals and businesses take untreated water from rivers and groundwater, known as water abstraction, because it is a cheap and convenient source. However, there are growing pressures on our water resources so action must be taken now to reform the system and ensure it is able to meet the challenges of the future. The […]
