14 February

UK government ministers have decided to no longer ring-fence farm cash for Wales, meaning future allocations will be rolled into the general funding given to the Welsh government. This has raised ‘huge concern’ with the Farmers' Union of Wales , who warn of a cut of nearly 40% to Wales’ farming budget.

Scotland’s ‘Preparing for Sustainable Farming’ payment scheme has been extended until 2026. Initially due to end in March, the extension to sustainable farming payments will enable farmers to continue to access payments to carry out soil analysis, carbon audits, and animal welfare interventions.

Alistair Carmichael MP, chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has called for more coherence in the UK government’s approach to rural policymaking, warning of growing disaffection in farming and fishing communities across the country amid criticisms over Labour’s inheritance tax reforms which has resulted in a string of farmer protests.

Greenhouse gas emissions from farming have now overtaken the UK's electricity supply for first time, according to new Department for Net Zero figures. Emissions from agriculture and land use now account for 12% of the UK's overall emissions.

New research has indicated that hedgerows store 40% more carbon than grasslands. A team led by scientists from the University of Leeds analysed soil samples from nine farms, concluding that soil under hedges stored on average 40 tonnes more carbon per hectare than managed grassland in all locations.

A study from United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has found that restoring degraded land globally would cost a fraction of a percent of global GDP to fund. However, the inequitable distribution of restoration needs means poorer countries could bear a disproportionately higher share of that cost.