Blogs
1/6/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Allerton Project , Farming , Policy
Seems a simple enough question, but when it comes to public policy it is more difficult. The current focus on climate change centres predominantly around carbon, with biodiversity rendered a supporting role through nature-based solutions. This raises the question: is biodiversity a good in its own right, or is it a supporting service that underpins delivery of a broad range of ecosystem services?
10/3/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Farming , Farmland Ecology , Policy
The use of pesticides is hotly debated, but arguments around it are often absolute and lack nuance. The government derogation for farmers to use the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on sugar beet this year (dependent on evidence of potentially yield threatening levels of pests) created lots of headlines, plenty of outrage and, at the time of writing, 50,597 signatures to reverse the decision.
4/2/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Nature , Farmland Ecology , Farming , Policy
The original blog we wrote has, not surprisingly, generated some comment, particularly with respect to the suggestion of a derogation on its use on kale in wild bird cover.
20/1/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Farming , Policy
On the face of it, we should welcome the research published in Science that improved crop performance can be achieved in hard soils through gene modification. Whilst soil compaction does restrict crop yields, the solution is more complex than to just adapt plant genetics. Soil health is in decline generally and compacted soils cause a number of environmental problems too.
20/1/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Farming , GWCT Partners
Farmer Time is an ongoing connection, where the farmer and their class link up for fortnightly video calls looking at what is happening on the farm and how it relates to the school curriculum.
18/1/2021 in: GWCT News Blog under: Farming , Policy
The response of some conservation NGOs to the news that Defra has given emergency authorisation of a neonicotinoid seed treatment for sugar beet in 2021 has been scare-mongering and emotive. In our view Defra’s decision is proportionate – and here is why.