DEFRA
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Post-Brexit farming support to be based on public goods
The government has proposed a new agricultural subsidy system that will see payments based on the provision of public goods rather than the amount of land farmed. The current system of support for farmers and landowners shaped by the Common… Read More
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New labelling guide to help cut food waste
New labelling guidelines have been published to help reduce the amount of food people chuck in the bin. In the UK, two million tonnes of food is thrown away every year because it’s not been used in time; a third… Read More
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Public brand litter a turn off
More than a third of people would be less likely to buy from a business whose branded litter they see on the street, new research has found. Three quarters of those questioned looked upon a business negatively when seeing litter… Read More
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Sugaring the Brexit pill
Britain’s sugar policy is a contradictory mess – but leaving the EU is a chance to bring agriculture and health goals into line. By Professor Jack Winkler. The UK government is drowning in dissent, divisions, plots and power struggles. The… Read More
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Microplastics found in mussels in Kent
Research conducted for the BBC in the shores around Kent has raised further concerns about microplastic contamination in the food chain. An average of 60% of mussel samples collected from four of the county’s beaches contained microplastic particles. In Ramsgate… Read More
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Political Print: Gove’s big green vision
DEFRA secretary’s conference speech is full of bold talk on the environment but short on detail – especially when it comes to Brexit. By Nick Hughes. Last week, the Print predicted that Michael Gove wouldn’t be quite so reticent in… Read More
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Gove’s green light for deposit return scheme
DEFRA has launched a four-week “call for evidence” on deposit return schemes for beverage packaging. Ministers have tasked the “voluntary and economic incentives working group” to look at a number of interventions that could reduce littering and improve recycling. However,… Read More
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Political Print: Food’s off the table at the Labour conference
Hopes of the party promoting a bold new vision were dashed with the shadow DEFRA secretary sidelined in Brighton this week. By Nick Hughes. It’s party conference season, hence it’s time for the Print to snap out of its summer… Read More
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DEFRA refuses to publish food prices report
The UK’s largest union has accused the government of suppressing a report on the impact of Brexit on food prices. DEFRA recently rejected a Freedom of Information (FoI) request from Unite to release the findings of the report, claiming that… Read More
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‘No surprise’ if agri-environmental laws weakened after Brexit
Moves to water down environmental regulations relating to food production will need to be closely scrutinised, according to a new report by the UK’s nature regulators. The Land Use Policy Group devised a number of possible post-Brexit policy scenarios for… Read More