The Source

How the controversial herbicide saves wildlife and where it still falls short. “The path forward is not to defend glyphosate indefinitely nor to ban it reflexively, but to retain the efficiencies and environmental benefits it enables while developing alternatives with even smaller trade-offs.”

In a rare long-term public study that compared the effects of phytochemicals from rosemary and oregano with antibiotic growth promoters, animal scientists with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, found that the natural agents given to weaned pigs supported favourable gut health and growth performance later in their lives by preserving microbial diversity to improve nutrient utilization.

A new international study offers insights into the health risks posed by crops' absorption of "contaminants of emerging concern" (CECs) and flags knowledge gaps the authors say must be addressed. CECs include pharmaceuticals, microplastics, engineered nanomaterials and PFAS (commonly known as "forever chemicals"). The researchers warn that even when present at very low concentrations, these chemicals can subtly alter plant physiology, disrupt soil health and pose wider environmental and human health risks.

In February 2026, the Law Commission published a scoping report on agricultural law in Wales. The scoping report examines a potential code of agricultural law in Wales and marks a significant milestone in the wider initiative to codify the law in Wales. This article briefly explores the scoping report’s key findings, the Law Commission’s rationale for a potential code of agricultural law for Wales and implications for practitioners.

University of Oxford Scientists have developed a breakthrough “superfood” for honeybees by engineering yeast to produce the essential nutrients normally found in pollen. In controlled trials, colonies fed this specially designed diet produced up to 15 times more young, showing a dramatic boost in reproduction and overall health. As climate change and modern agriculture reduce the availability of natural pollen, this innovation could offer a practical way to support struggling bee populations.

Artificial intelligence is now widely used across agriculture. Sensors monitor livestock performance, software supports crop planning, and supply chains increasingly rely on predictive analytics. Yet a more important question remains. If AI is already present, why are so many organisations still struggling to translate it into consistent, measurable value?

Nature markets can provide farmers with an additional source of income, as organisations look for new ways to meet environmental goals.

Properly resourced Cheesemakers benefit both the consumer and farmers.

We show that the category of ‘local’ or ‘indigenous’ is not immutable and nor are the practices and interventions that are deemed acceptable. We caution against renditions of local communities as being resistant to change and provide examples of how endogenous pivots toward environmental practices and tourism can be incorporated into an authentic livelihood strategy.

The scale of the challenge is significant: by 2050, England is projected to face a daily shortfall of nearly five billion litres of water.  Against this backdrop, the central question is whether the Water White Paper – and wider government initiatives – will be sufficient to address these pressures. Jessica Sellick investigates.  

UK agriculture is operating in a fundamentally different pricing environment. Input costs – such as fuel, fertiliser and energy - are no longer moving in predictable cycles. Instead, they react quickly to geopolitical events, supply chain pressures and shifts in global energy markets.

Labour shortages are leading to an increase in the number of producers turning to Automated Milking Systems (AMS) to reduce the long and often anti-social hours associated with milking twice or three times a day. FAS Scotland has delivered several meetings and webinars on AMS production throughout 2025 for existing producers and those thinking about converting. This note condenses the key points from those events to help you get the maximum benefit from an AMS system