This week sees the first meeting of a new National Standing Committee designed to encourage the sustainable use and protection of the UK’s rich diversity of livestock breeds.
The gathering world food crisis is bad news for many of the world’s poor and for developing economies, but rather good news for others. Global agribusiness firms, traders and speculators are currently raking in huge profits.
Full details of ORC arable events 2008
The Netherlands Ambassador to London – Pim Waldeck – has taken the occasion of a brief speech at the Organic and Natural Products Show at London’s Olympia to outline some new organic market policies from the Dutch Government.
The future focus of European cereal production will be on low input (possibly organic) systems which deploy genetically diverse crops through either varietal mixtures or composite cross populations. These crops will contribute to a multifunctional agriculture.
Apocalyptic visions of a world fast running out of food have moved uncomfortably up the news agenda to present-day reality. The Financial Times reports that rice prices have hit the US$1,000-a-tonne level for the first time as panicking importers scrambled at auctions (April 17th 2008) to secure supplies.
2007 consumer survey from FSA
A re-vampled free information and advice service for English farmers thinking of converting to organic production has been launched by Defra Sustainable Food and Farming Minister Lord Rooker.
The UK Government should delay introducing road biofuel at the pumps.
The relentless spread of Bluetongue across the UK continues with at least 110 holdings now affected.
