02 May

The Welsh government launched a campaign to strengthen local food systems and improve access to healthy food. More than £2 million in funding has been committed for 2025-2026, with an aim to increase public sector spending on Welsh food and suppliers by at least 50% by 2030.

Peers in the House of Lords are preparing to table a motion to overturn the Labour’s proposed 76% reduction in farming subsidies. The government has claimed the reductions are necessary to expand its Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which reward farmers for nature-friendly practices.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has renewed calls for urgent government investment in flooding infrastructure – including investing in improved soil health – in the upcoming Spending Review  to improve farm resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather events

A jury of farmers convened by the AFN Network+ has ruled unanimously that UK farming should play its part in meeting government climate and nature ambitions – but many warn that ‘net zero’ is disengaging farmers, questioning how farming’s impact is being measured as well as the practicality and validity of proposed interventions.

The Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) annual progress report states there is ‘unequivocal evidence’ that climate change is making extreme weather in the UK worse. The report also warns the government that it is under-investing in climate adaptation infrastructure, resulting in increased climate vulnerability in our agricultural systems.

New research from the Agricultural Climate Solutions Living Lab program has demonstrated that multi-species cover crops are effective in improving soil health. Theyboost farm productivity by providing soil coverage for erosion prevention and draw nutrients from different depths with different root structures.

A new report published by Food Sense Wales concludes that 25% of all vegetables served in schools across Wales could be organic by 2030. The report reveals that a modest increase of just 3.3p per school meal per day could enable the inclusion of two portions of local organic vegetables in school meals seasonally.