Editorial
Comment: Will Groundswell’s enthusiasm move markets?
The Groundswell regenerative agriculture event, held earlier this month, is now firmly on the farming calendar. This year’s show, the ninth since it was inaugurated for likeminded farmers by Hertfordshire growers John and Paul...
Comment: Need for joined-up farm and sustainability policy
The government has made it clear over the last year that agriculture is not a priority for public funds, when competing for limited resources with areas such as defence and health. But the decision to give away the UK bioethanol...
Comment: Trade deals and trade offs
Industry fears during the negotiations for a UK-US trade deal had centred on access for US beef and chicken produced under standards illegal in the UK. Instead, the surprise outcome has been to pull the rug from under the domestic...
SFI cuts underline need for profitable farm businesses: Comment
Defra’s decision to end this year’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme for new entrants, with no prior warning, was badly handled. It was a surprise both to farmers and those in the supply trade who have...
Prepare to be disrupted
“If you are unwilling to disrupt yourself, there will always be someone willing to disrupt your business for you.” - Marc Randolph, Netflix Cofounder Back in 2000, Blockbuster, a store-based movie rental business, turned down an...
Changing SFI goalposts not conducive to industry planning
Last month’s changes to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rules, while helping address food security concerns, are not helpful to those planning land use and the necessary inputs to manage it. Earlier this month Defra minister...