大象传媒

Farmers are facing rising costs - the initial impact of gas price rises last autumn hit fertiliser costs and now the gas price hike has led some horticulture producers to close up their heated glasshouses. In Holland there are reports that Dutch glasshouse growers - have reduced their heating, and their yields will be down. At the same time, the war in Ukraine is disrupting global wheat exports and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is warning of 鈥渟erious food-security repercussions for some 50 countries that rely on Russia & Ukraine for wheat." So what does all this mean for UK food security? DEFRA says 鈥渢he UK imports a very low amount of foodstuffs from Eastern Europe, with the majority of grains, meat, dairy and eggs produced in the UK, so the Government does not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply.鈥�

EU legislation enshrined that in law, and it was the foundation of animal welfare rules. Since leaving the EU, this 鈥榮entience鈥� legislation is now being put into the new Animal Welfare Bill, and a new Committee will be created, to ensure UK Ministers take account of animal welfare. This week, the government accepted an amendment to the Bill which would ensure recommendations from the committee respect religious rights, cultural traditions and regional heritage鈥�that would include religious slaughter of un-stunned animals, and game-bird shooting.

And there鈥檚 only one certified producer of organic duck eggs currently operating in the UK. Parc Carreg is a small 10 acre business in Carmarthenshire running some 500 ducks. We visit and meet farmer, Josh Heyneke.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for 大象传媒 Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons