The Source

Communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are coming together to support a bid for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to become a UNESCO Biosphere – a prestigious status which could help boost sustainable development, improve people’s wellbeing and protect threatened environments.

Could grasslands supply a new source of dietary protein if processed into protein-rich ingredients, supporting agricultural diversification while increasing output and lowering livestock-related emissions?

An Irish study shows that solar photovoltaic systems can reduce emissions and energy costs on dairy farms, with spring-calving systems showing slightly stronger economic and environmental performance.

Profits for UK farming rose substantially in 2025 according to the latest Defra figures. Total Income from Farming (TIFF) for the year is estimated at £8.42bn.

“The countryside is not somewhere to dump rubbish because nobody is watching. The people who live and work there should not be expected to absorb the cost of other people’s criminal behaviour. Rural communities deserve better than that”, Kirstie Allsopp (Breaking the Cycle, June 2026, page 1).

To avoid increased slug damage in strip cropping fields in slug-prone areas, potential slug-source crops should be spatially separated from slug-sensitive crops. However, an increase in slug abundance should not deter the adoption of strip cropping as higher slug damage in strip cropping systems was rarely observed by farmers.

The report explores real-world examples of land managers’ experiences and perceptions of using green finance – environmentally-targeted sustainable finance – to fund woodland creation in Great Britain.

The Farming Roadmap brings the government's long-term strategies, reforms and commitments for farming together in one place.

A study by AFBI scientists found that piglets born later in the farrowing process are less likely to survive, irrespective of birth weight.

"I recently attended the Future Countryside event at Raby Castle, Co. Durham, and a Moorland Matters event in Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire. The idea of both was to bring the different interests in the countryside together to explore opportunities for working collaboratively. One of the main conclusions I reached was the importance of language."

"As the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA), I’m launching a new survey for the UK pig sector to better understand current challenges, awareness of the Fair Dealing Obligations, and experiences across the supply chain."

By shifting our focus from short-term abundance to long-term resilience, farms that invest in mosaiced, well-connected and well-established habitats are better equipped to withstand poor insect years and are ready to recover when conditions improve.