Environmental News

Following the driest March in over six decades, farmers should expect the weather to get wetter and cooler from mid-April. However, some farmers have already acted, preparing themselves for future drought. 

An Essex-based chemical manufacturing company has been fined £2.5 million following two incidents of uncontrolled releases of highly corrosive acids at its site in West Thurrock. 

Farmers who find themselves in an NVZ (nitrate vulnerable zone) from 2025 to 2028 will receive a letter from Defra and will be given an opportunity to appeal the decision, NFU warns.

Safety concerns have been raised in regard to the controversial plans for a huge solar farm that is set to be built on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border. 

Defra has just announced a new proposal to ban heather burning on peatland, which aims to protect air, water and wildlife.

Food and finance businesses including McCain Foods, McDonald’s, Lloyds Banking Group, Waitrose & Partners, NatWest and Barclays have joined forces to launch the Routes to Regen project.

Significant change to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill is needed if the Scottish Government’s policy objectives for land reform are to be met, said Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee.

The annual Household Food Management Survey has revealed that despite being a nation of food lovers, when it comes to food waste, fresh produce is the UK’s most binned item.

Cambridgeshire farmer John Pike has shared that he was “badly let down” by Defra’s Farming Recovery Fund, which was supposed to provide financial help to farmers impacted by severe weather in 2024. 

Changes to the way double-cab pickups are treated for some tax purposes are coming in April 2025 – act now to get a Ford Ranger before the tax change.

Waitrose has announced the launch of a £500,000 fund that aims at supporting British farmers in their transition to net zero emissions. 

Farmers have been urged to assess their own businesses and identify actions they could take to reduce the impact of climate change.