The ribbon has been cut on a £1.8 million “vertical farming” innovation centre in a first for Scotland’s higher education sector. Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) said it was stepping up its commitment to global and local food production and security as it officially opened the centre at its Edinburgh campus.

SRUC, which gained taught degree-awarding powers in October, will use the commercial-sized facility to carry out research, as well as educating the food and horticulture scientists, growers and industry experts of tomorrow.

It said students will learn how to grow crops more quickly, or with higher nutritional value, as well as how to grow food using less water. Some 250 times more water is required to grow a lettuce in an open field than in a so-called vertical farm - a method of growing plants and vegetables in layers indoors, using lighting and controlled systems for water, nutrients and temperature.

The UK farming industry has expressed concern following confirmation of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in water buffalo in Germany.

The country's first case of foot-and-mouth disease in 35 years was detected in a herd of water buffalo in Hönow, near Berlin.

A 72-hour animal transport ban has been enacted for the state of Brandenburg, covering cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock.

Tesco has announced plans to recruit two low-carbon concept farms in its UK supply chain, in a bid to provide farmers in their network with a practical demonstration of a route to net zero.

The multi-year commitment will see the farms, which are currently being selected, trial new technologies and share learnings to scale the adoption of sustainable approaches on other holdings.

They will also explore innovation in other areas including soil health, grazing management, biodiversity assessment and management, and genetic improvements.

The government has confirmed that the legislation needed to implement new precision breeding rules will be introduced to parliament by the end of March. Defra Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the timetable for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 today at the Oxford Farming Conference.

It comes after a cross-party group of MPs sent a letter to the government calling for a clearer time frame for the roll out of the post-Brexit legislation.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture's (APPGSTA) letter was signed by more than 65 politicians, scientists and investors. It followed reports that EU-UK realignment talks could delay or even block plans to press ahead with the new gene editing rules in England.

The UK’s plans to adopt the latest gene editing technology face delays over fears they will clash with EU law if Downing Street strikes an agreement with Brussels to remove border checks on food and plant products.

Two senior EU diplomats told the Financial Times that Brussels has informally warned the UK government that an agreement on cutting such checks would not be compatible with current British plans on gene editing technology.

In a sign of the growing concern in the UK farming industry, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture this week sent a letter, signed by more than 50 leading scientists, politicians and investors, urging UK food minister Daniel Zeichner to commit to a “firm timetable” to introduce the secondary legislation.

The birth of Hilda, an IVF calf from the Dumfries-based Langhill herd, is being hailed as a groundbreaking achievement in the quest for more sustainable farming practices.

Hilda is the first member of her herd to be born through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and is part of the Cool Cows project, which aims to breed cattle that produce significantly less of the greenhouse gas methane, helping to reduce the environmental impact of dairy farming.

Veterinary experts and scientists are calling Hilda’s arrival “hugely significant”, as it could accelerate the dairy industry’s journey towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The birth marks a major milestone for the UK dairy sector, as it allows researchers to speed up genetic selection and enhance the breeding of methane-efficient cows.

China has approved five gene-edited crop varieties and 12 types of genetically modified (GM) soybean, corn and cotton, expanding approvals to boost high-yield crops, reduce import reliance, and ensure food security.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs awarded safety certificates to the 17 crop varieties, according to a document on its website on Tuesday.

The approved gene-edited crops include two soybean varieties, and one each of wheat, corn, and rice.

In a press briefing organised by Moredun, the research institute's scientific director and chief executive, Prof Tom McNeilly, addressed the recent fallout surrounding the methane reducing feed additive Bovaer, and why animal health remains an important part of the solution in reducing the livestock industry's methane emissions.

As an institute, Prof McNeilly said Moredun is well aware of the contribution ruminants play in methane emissions and the pressures the industry is facing. However, he said there is ‘no silver bullet' to reduce these emissions, but a number of tools that could be used.

With literature showing methane reducing feed additives could lower methane production by 30%, Prof McNeilly said they are a ‘useful tool in the toolbox', but consumer backlash has been ‘noisy' across the internet and social media. He said: "Consumers are quite suspicious when something is mandated, but it is probably one of the most tested feed additives that there has ever been. In terms of the safety of the milk, I do not think there is any evidence to say the milk is less safe."

The Labour government has taken a significant step toward banning neonicotinoid pesticides completely, a move likely to provoke strong reactions from the farming industry.

The government has set out its next steps, including identifying legislative options that would legally prevent the future use of three specific neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.

The decision, announced on Saturday 21 December, follows years of debate over the chemicals’ impact on vital pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

A simple change to maize, sorghum and sugarcane that allows them to take advantage of rising CO2 levels can boost their growth by around a fifth.

The growth of maize, sugarcane and sorghum has been greatly boosted by modifying the plants to take advantage of higher carbon dioxide levels now found in the air.

This was done by simply increasing the activity of two genes, says Coralie Salesse-Smith at the University of Illinois. The finding should lead to the creation of new varieties whose yields go up as CO2 levels continue to rise.

The Court of Appeal in London has dismissed a case brought by animal activists that, had it been successful, could have forced the poultry sector to cease using “fast-growing” broilers in meat production.

The case, brought by the Humane League, was originally considered in 2023, with the campaign group claiming that, by allowing the use of such birds, Defra was breaching the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007.

Defra challenged the claims, insisting there is no scientific proof fast-growing birds suffer health problems as a matter of course – and the judge agreed Defra had not acted illegally.

Livestock and arable farms across England, Scotland, and Wales will begin taking carbon measurements in December as part of an industry-leading baselining project.

The AHDB are working alongside Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) to quantify the environmental impact of GB farms and has selected 170 farm businesses to be involved in the pilot phase.

AHDB has committed to an initial investment of £2.5m, with a further £375,000 of funding being offered up by QMS, and plans to create a nationwide standardised data set.