CLA Rural Business Uncovered

We’ve had vegan sausage rolls, Meat Free Mondays, impossible burgers… the list goes on. But while there’s been a polarising focus on meat eating vs veganism, we might be missing the wider point – that good quality meat and dairy produced to high environmental and animal welfare standards can and should exist in a healthy, balanced diet. But are we currently eat too much?

Alice Ritchie, the CLA’s Climate Change Lead, will discuss the future of our food with Dan Crossley from the Food Ethics Council, and Dr Courtney Scott, Senior Policy Researcher from the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. You will hear what an ethical and sustainable diet looks like, what food trends and consumption patterns mean for farmers across the UK and, finally, how these will create new markets and opportunities that farmers can capitalise on.

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This week we are joined by father and son John & Tom Homfray, owners of Penllyn Estate Farm near Cowbridge in Wales who share their diversification story with us. We hear what prompted the family to diversification in the first place, the challenges they faced & their advice for members considering pursuing new opportunities now or in the future.

To find out more about Penllyn Estate Farm visit www.penllynestate.co.uk.

CLA members can assess free impartial advice regarding all aspects of farm diversification. Visit www.cla.org.uk to find out more or to become a member of the CLA today.  

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Rural tourism has taken the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses have endured forced closure through two lockdowns, and the sector has resiliently met the challenge of ever evolving public policy head on, with consumers recognising the vital role rural businesses play in supporting local communities. Testing times remain however the coming months will prove critical in determining whether some businesses remain viable into 2021. 

In our first episode, Dr Charles Trotman, CLA Senior Business & Economics Adviser, is joined by Ros Pritchard from British Holiday & Home Parks Association and Kurt Janson from the Tourism Alliance to highlight the importance of the rural tourism economy to our members and to talk us through the challenges the sector now faces and what the future could hold.

CLA members can access further advice via the CLA website:  https://www.cla.org.uk/advice-members-rural-tourism-and-covid-19.

If you are not a member, join you can join today via www.cla.org.uk.

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With Brexit, the loss of direct support under the Basic Payment Scheme and the impact of coronavirus, diversification has never been more important to the rural economy and the planning system plays a central role in enabling or obstructing rural development.

In the fourth and final podcast for Rural Powerhouse Week, we speak to CLA member Hugh Broom about his diversification into battery storage. Challenged with a site both in an AONB and Green Belt, Hugh finds an innovative way to navigate the planning system and diversify into an area which will only continue to gain importance and traction as we shift to a low-carbon economy.

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The UK government has ambitious climate change targets and these come with pretty big implications for those who own or manage land in England or Wales. On day three of Rural Powerhouse weekwe hear from Lord Zac Goldsmith, Minister for the Environment, about the government’s plans to harness nature-based solutions like tree planting and peatland restoration. We are then joined by Jason Beedell, Director of Research at Strutt & Parker to tell us what it all actually means for those on the ground.

For more information on climate change and land use, the CLA has produced a factsheet on climate change, cutting through the rhetoric and pulling together all the most robust science. This can be found here: https://www.cla.org.uk/cla-and-road-net-zero

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Day two of Rural Powerhouse Week focuses on the risks and opportunities for rural businesses in trading with markets outside of the UK. In today’s episode CLA Public Affairs Manager Eleanor Wood provides the inside track on the politics of the negotiations between the UK and the EU. This is then followed by a lively discussion between economist Julian Jessop, and CLA Chief Economist Charles Trotman on what the UK can expect from life beyond the EU, and what this means for government's plans for a 'global Britain'.

Listen below or search "Rural Powerhouse Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Please find all of the CLA’s advice and support for your business and the Brexit transition period here: www.cla.org.uk/brexit

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The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will launch in England in 2024, with national pilots beginning next year. However, Defra has already been testing some of the elements of the new scheme with farmers and land managers through a programme of 'tests and trials’ over the last two years. This is an important opportunity for farmers and land managers to put forward and test their own ideas about what ELM should look like.

In this podcast, we hear from two CLA members involved in the tests and trials. They share their experiences and the ideas they are investigating. We also hear from Gavin Ross, who leads the tests and trials programme for Defra, and Ed Hutley from Strutt & Parker, as they discuss the bigger picture of how the new ELM scheme is taking shape.

The CLA is leading on two tests and trials. Members can read the final report for one of those trials here.

Defra has information about the whole range of trials here.

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