The Source

A report by The Andersons Centre published on 29 January, commissioned by CropLife UK, shows that a badly negotiated new Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU could wipe out 10% of farm income, reducing UK food production across key staples such as wheat and potatoes, and fresh produce including apples, berries and leafy greens.

A dissertation submitted to De Montfort University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of LLM in Environmental Law by Andrew Brown

Apply too little and crops won’t reach their potential. Apply too much and fertiliser, slurry and other organic materials are wasted, costs rise, and the risk of nutrients running into rivers and streams increases.

In the summer of 2025, CRPR, University of Exeter conducted a survey investigating the health and wellbeing of women in farming across England and Wales. Over 2,000 women, across a range of ages, farm types and farm sizes and with a variety of roles on the farm, took the time to complete the questionnaire. Here we highlight the key messages emerging from our findings.

The new framework will protect public health and the environment from risks posed by PFAS. Science-first approach will strengthen monitoring, assess new restrictions, and increase public awareness. Plans include to consult on PFAS drinking water limits and developing safer alternatives to everyday items  

Removing sheep and other livestock entirely from upland grasslands—a strategy often promoted as a way to boost carbon storage and tackle climate change—may actually reduce the most stable forms of soil carbon, according to new research. The study suggests that while removing livestock from upland grasslands can increase fast-cycling carbon stored in plants and dead vegetation, it can also lead to losses of a more stable form of soil carbon. This long-lived carbon, known as mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC), is bound to soil minerals and can persist for decades to centuries, making it critical for long-term climate mitigation.

The Government has revised its timetable for improving the energy efficiency of residential let property and confirmed a lower improvement cost cap than originally proposed.

Artificial intelligence has moved well beyond experimental stages in most sectors and is well-integrated into our day-to-day lives. Advances in machine learning, sensor engineering and cloud computing now deliver practical, usable systems that analyse patterns and process real-time data at scales that were unrealistic a decade ago. Across the agri-tech sector, all signs point to increasing use of AI‑enabled decision support and data analytics in farming. 

The two key objectives of this work are to identify the best scenario for optimizing environmental impact and financial return for farmers and to determine the carbon cost-benefit of transitioning to increased pulse production in the UK.

One of the standout features of farm-twin is its ability to integrate multiple streams of data from different vendors and visualise data through intuitive dashboards, giving farmers an at-a-glance view of their entire operation. The platform also supports predictive analytics, allowing early detection of health issues or productivity drops before they escalate. For example, the system can combine milk yield trends with live health data to detect early signs of illness, triggering alerts or automated responses.

On the 28th January 2026, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society hosted the first-ever Yorkshire Farming Conference. Their theme “Every Field, Every Farmer” reflected the unity and resilience that define Yorkshire’s agricultural landscape. It was a great day with a good environment, trade show sold out and topical and engaging speakers.

This study underscores the potential of increasing sward species diversity using clovers and herbs to sustain economic performances of pasture-based systems while reducing fertilizer N reliance and enhancing animal performance.