The reintroduction of processed animal protein (PAP) into some livestock feed is on the cards, with Defra now considering changes to regulations that have been in place since the height of the so-called “mad cow” crisis in the 1990s.

The move, set out in a new consultation, aims to support the farming industry and help level the playing field with the EU, where limited use of non-ruminant PAP is allowed.

Through the eight-week consultation, views are being sought on whether those controls which currently prohibit PAP being fed to farmed animals to prevent transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), should be changed.

A one-year trial on genetically modified crops by the University of Oxford has been given the green light by Defra. Trial plots are due to be planted this spring, with the study looking to improve yields and stress tolerance in wheat.

Independent non-departmental public body Acre (Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment,) has advised the government that the risks from the trial to human health and the environment are extremely low.

Trial plots will be grown at four different sites in England with harvesting planned for August and September. The four approved release sites are John Innes Centre near Norwich, Niab near Cambridge, and Rothamsted Research sites at Harpenden and Bury St Edmunds.

About 9% of England's farming land will need to be converted into forest and wild habitats by 2050 to meet the government's net zero and nature targets. The benchmark was set out in a consultation launched by Environment Secretary Steve Reed.

In total, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) predicts nearly a fifth of the UK's agricultural land will need to change, as part of efforts to improve the eco-system.

But the department insists greater efficiencies on the remaining land could maintain UK food production at current levels.

Almost one-tenth of England’s farmland will need to be converted to low-carbon use such as woodland or heath by 2050 in order for the country to hit its climate targets, according to government estimates published on Friday.

About 760,000 hectares — or 9 per cent of England’s agricultural land — will need to “change away from agricultural land for environmental and climate benefits”, it said. A further 9 per cent will need to change to accommodate climate benefits, such as sustainable farming practices.

Alongside the estimates, the government said that any impact on food production from the land use changes could be offset by using technology and sustainable farming techniques to increase crop yields.

Poultry farmers are appealing to the government to let them vaccinate their flocks against the "devastating" bird flu virus spreading across the UK.

Vaccinating poultry against avian influenza is currently not allowed in the UK. The government says that strong biosecurity measures and culling are the most effective ways of fighting it. Meanwhile, there are concerns that poultry vaccinations might be linked to the virus evolving.

Overall levels of the virus have not yet reached the peak of recent years. But one farmer, who has previously lost 30% of his flock because of bird flu, told the BBC that, without a vaccine, it was only a matter of time before "it all kicks off again".

The UK government must adopt an ambitious new strategy to increase domestic food production by 30% by 2050, MPs who sit on a committee say. With good soils, a temperate climate, a professional farming sector and a world-class agri-science base, Britain is 'well-placed' to produce more food.

But MPs warn that dependence on imports, such as wheat, is at its highest since records began 30 years ago. And this year, the industry is on course to produce just 15% of the UK's vegetable oil requirements, rather than 40% a decade or so ago.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) calls for UK food production to be boosted by 30% by 2050 while reducing farming's environmental footprint by 50% - which they dub the '30:50:50 vision'.

UKHSA has confirmed a case of influenza A(H5N1) in a person in the West Midlands region. Bird-to-human transmission of avian influenza is rare and has previously occurred a small number of times in the UK.

The person acquired the infection on a farm, where they had close and prolonged contact with a large number of infected birds. The risk to the wider public continues to be very low.

The individual is currently well and was admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) unit.

Discount retailer Aldi is urging consumers to think about food waste after it was revealed more than half its shoppers throw away nearly 500 pieces of fruit and veg each year.

According to new research from the supermarket chain, 52% of customers bin around 482 fresh items, which adds up to around £520 a year.

Of the 2,000 Britons polled, 53% said they threw out food which had not even been touched, with 56% admitting that they completely forgot about food they had bought. More than half those surveyed (57%) said they were not confident they fully understood exactly where and how to store food to keep it fresh for longer.

The government has rejected an emergency application for the use of a neonicotinoid on sugar beet to help growers stave off virus yellows infection.

The announcement makes it the first time in five years that an emergency authorisation of Cruiser SB has not been approved for use on sugar beet.

Defra said that there was 'clear and abundant evidence' that the neonicotinoid was 'extremely toxic' to pollinators such as bees. The application for emergency authorisation was made by the NFU and British Sugar.

UK wheat imports have been at the highest volumes since records began almost 30 years ago, so far for the 2024-25 crop year.

Wheat imports totalled 1.45m tonnes during the first five months of the season, with merchants and millers keen to get hold of supplies following an exceptionally small UK harvest last year.

The final 2024 UK wheat harvest was just 11.1m tonnes, according to Defra, down by 20% on the previous year.

Next week, from 27-31 January 2025, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science & Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) will be hosting an ’Agri-Science Week in Parliament’ exhibit in the Palace of Westminster.

The multi-partner exhibit – staffed by scientists from the John Innes Centre, Rothamsted Research, NIAB, the Roslin Institute and the University of Lincoln - will showcase UK taxpayer-funded research and innovation taking place across a range of sectors and technologies. Located in the Upper Waiting Hall, a main thoroughfare between central lobby and the committee corridors, the initiative will provide a unique opportunity to engage with MPs, Peers and their staff.

APPGSTA chair George Freeman MP said: “This All-Party Group is committed to supporting innovation in farming and food production. Our aim in hosting this exhibit is to help explain why agricultural science and technology are so important to all our futures, particularly to a new intake of MPs who may not immediately think of farming innovation as important to them or their constituents.

The long-awaited ADOPT fund will launch this spring Defra has confirmed, however, it has still not revealed if it will commit to the scheme's £44 million budget as promised by the previous government.

The Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) scheme, promised businesses the opportunity to apply for a share of £44m to test and trial new technology and techniques on farms. However, it, along with several grant programmes were put on hold by Labour.

Speaking at last week's Oxford Farming Conference, Defra Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the scheme would go ahead in the coming weeks funding farmer-led trials ‘to bridge the gap between new technologies and their real-world application'.