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The Welsh Government should add more clarity to the bill bringing in the ‘made for Wales’ agriculture policy. That's according to the Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee which has scrutinised the bill, making 50 recommendations. It paves the way for a new Sustainable Farming Scheme - SFS - which is expected to come in 2025. It will pay farmers for efforts to protect and enhance Wales' scenery, environment and wildlife as well as good farming practice. We speak to the committee chair MS Paul Davies who say's it's a vital piece of legislation.

Wandering through the average rural village, poverty is probably not what you see, we’re more likely to notice the picturesque pub or the well-appointed village green, but this week we’re going to be looking at rural poverty, often a hidden aspect of life in the countryside. The Rural Services Network says : If England’s rural communities were treated as a distinct region, their need for levelling up would be greater than any other." Janet Dwyer, Professor of Rural Policy at the University of Gloucestershire explains how the way we measure an areas affluence is part of the problem:

An environmental group in Dorset is drawing up plans to plant a hedge that they say will cover nearly 100 miles. The volunteers behind the scheme hope the giant hedge will become a wildlife corridor and boost biodiversity.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney