Developing local food networks and strengthening support for locally sourced food has a multitude of benefits. Buying locally sourced food reduces food miles meaning less fuel is used in transportation, reducing its carbon footprint, it supports nearby businesses, creates local employment, keeps money circulating within the local economy and much more.

Judicaelle Hammond, CLA Director of Policy and Advice, talks us through what a local food chain is, whether consumers understand it in the same way, and what is needed to make the Government Food Strategy’s consultation on a plan for 50% of food expenditure in the public sector to go on food produced locally or to higher environmental standards work.

Vicki Hird, Head of Sustainable Farming at Sustain, explains the key actions needed to increase interest in local food, how local food chains can be sustained alongside retailers, and how they can remain financially viable.

Karl Avison, founder of Cedar barn Farm Shop and Café, shares with us the measures he has taken in his own business to inform consumers about the benefits of buying local, and the role of local food supply chains in the rural economy.

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We delve into what the new biodiversity net gain regulations mean for land managers and rural businesses wanting to submit planning applications.

The introduction of mandatory biodiversity net gain in the planning system by the Environment Act 2021 is expected in 2023, following consultation, publication, and implementation of regulations. The new policy will require, as a condition of planning permission, that any new development demonstrate a net gain of a minimum 10% of the biodiversity value on the site, measured using Defra's Biodiversity Metric.

What will you hear?

Fenella Collins, CLA Head of Planning, covers what biodiversity net gain is, why it's so important, and how it can be achieved as well as how biodiversity net gain interfaces with the planning system and national planning policy.

You will also hear about the legal mechanisms for delivering biodiversity net gain, the role of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies, and the Biodiversity Metric.

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This podcast covers the ins and outs of what farming sustainability means and how it can be measured.

Defra recently launched their Sustainable Farming Incentive, and the Welsh Government are in the process of developing their Sustainable Farming Scheme. In many respects, sustainable farming has come to equate with reduced impact on the environment, whether that is climate, air, water or soils. Consumers and the supply chains are placing greater demands on farming businesses to be more environmentally responsible and there is the ever-present threat of increased regulation if incentivises don’t work.

What will you hear?

Susan Twining, CLA Chief Land Use Policy Adviser, explains how sustainable farming fits within policy thinking, how to measure sustainability, and the role of the Government to build confidence in setting clear guidance on how to measure and assess what these sustainability metrics are. 

John Renner, Farmer at Bellshill Farm, talks us through what sustainable farming means, the practices implemented on his farm, and how he deals with environmental conflicts. 

Hugh Martineau, Head of Sustainability at Map of Ag, discusses how you can improve profits through sustainable farming, where you can get advice and support on data gathering, how to make sense of the data and how to use it to improve your business.

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