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The UK’s self-sufficiency in 10 out of 11 everyday foods, such as wheat, vegetables, beef, poultry meat and eggs have fallen in the last 30 years, a new report from the NFU reveals. At the same time, the country’s reliance on imported food continues to grow, with agri-food import volumes up 70% over the period while export volumes have stalled. With 93% of British households agreeing that it’s important to maintain or increase UK food self-sufficiency, the public’s message is clear.

Recently published reports on two farmer-led conservation groups, supported by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), are a rare, evidence-based success story for nature recovery. The results of 10 years of wildlife monitoring clearly demonstrate how coordinated action across whole landscapes can reverse the long-term decline of some of England’s most threatened farmland birds.

RSPB Northern Ireland has announced the purchase of Carr Island on Lower Lough Erne, marking a significant expansion of its Lough Erne reserve, the RSPB’s most westerly nature reserve in the UK, and reinforcing its commitment to nature in the area. Supported by funding from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the acquisition forms part of a wider landscape-scale approach to conservation across Lower Lough Erne.

On 8 September, in central London, Farm Gate and Ark Events will host the UK’s first Conference on Food & National Security. Ahead of the conference, ffinlo Costain spoke to three of our conference panellists: Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, (Ministerial Climate and Security Task Force) — Adele Sawday, (farmer and regenerative food and ag leader) — and Mike Gooding (AHDB).

On 8 September, in central London, Farm Gate and Ark Events will host the UK’s first Conference on Food & National Security. The conference will uniquely deal with the subjects of food, nature and national security — because ecological and defence vulnerabilities, driven by our food system itself, go beyond food security and resilience.

On 8 September, in central London, Farm Gate and Ark Events will host the UK’s first Conference on Food & National Security. The conference will uniquely deal with the subjects of food, nature and national security — because ecological and defence vulnerabilities, driven by our food system itself, go beyond food security and resilience.

Environment Bank, the nation’s leading biodiversity gains specialist, is helping SES Water meet its Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements for an essential new booster pumping station and associated works in Croydon. SES Water supplies 160 million litres of clean water every day to over 750,000 people in parts of Surrey, Kent and South London.

For 75 years, The Archers has reflected the changing face of British farming life. Now Graham Harvey, one of the programme’s longest-serving scriptwriters, takes readers behind the scenes of the fictional village of Ambridge in this revised and updated edition of Underneath the Archers.

New research from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) shows that Gen Z consumers are not turning their backs on British farming – they simply do not have enough exposure to it. While younger consumers remain less likely than older generations to describe farmers as trustworthy, the research suggests this reflects distance rather than criticism, and points to a clear opportunity for farmers and the wider industry to build stronger connections with this influential group.

It rained on Martin Lines’ arable farm the night before he sat down to record this episode of Farm Gate — the first real rain in weeks. That small relief sits against a much bigger story. Martin, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, has just brought in a harvest scarred by an extraordinary run of heat. Beans stopped flowering when temperatures passed 30C back in May.