Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in daily life, and when it comes to work, generative technologies – those which create images and text – could be incredibly useful. There’s been a lot in the news recently about ChatGPT, and it tends to divide opinion – there are those who are worried it will take their jobs and ultimately threaten humanity, and there are others who merrily use it in their day-to-day work to save time on mundane jobs. So who’s right? Richard Sanders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, helps unravel this emotive topic.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his first Budget – and while there was not a huge amount in there for the farming industry, there are potentially significant changes afoot. That’s because he announced a review of how environmental land management will be treated from a taxation perspective, the potential to limit agricultural property relief on let land, and a big push on encouraging investment. Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the CAAV, picks out the detail and explores the longer-term implications on the rural sector.

The Government has at last revealed its long-awaited response to the mandatory biodiversity net gain consultation from January last year. While the concept has been in the pipeline since the 2019 Spring Statement, voluntary trading has been going on for some time. But now, the requirements will be laid down in law – from November 2023, all developers will have to deliver a 10% net gain in biodiversity, to offset the environmental damage they cause. As with any new legislation, there’s a lot of detail to unpick, so Richard Saunders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, explains what it all means.

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The Government has at last revealed its long awaited response to the mandatory biodiversity net gain consultation from January last year. While the concept has been in the pipeline since the 2019 Spring Statement, voluntary trading has been going on for some time. But now, the requirements will be laid down in law – from November 2023, all developers will have to deliver a 10% net gain in biodiversity, to offset the environmental damage they cause. As with any new legislation, there’s a lot of detail to unpick, so Richard Saunders, technical and policy adviser at the CAAV, explains what it all means.

Defra has finally announced further details about the future environmental schemes in England, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery. These include a plethora of new land management options to mix and match, as well as higher payment rates to encourage farmers to apply. Jeremy Moody explores what these enhanced initiatives and payments mean for farmers, while also considering the decision-making process for optimal financial success. Given that these environmental payments will not replace the loss of Basic Payments for most producers, what is the most profitable way forward?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused enormous upheaval in global energy markets. We are now facing conflicting demands – on the one hand, the nation is seeking to bolster security of supply, while also capping energy costs. On the other, the Government has committed to increasing renewable energy in a bid to reach net zero, all while demand continues to soar. Given the ageing state of the National Grid, Rebecca Collins examines what this all means for rural residents and landowners.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused enormous upheaval in global energy markets. We are now facing conflicting demands – on the one hand, the nation is seeking to bolster security of supply, while also capping energy costs. On the other, the Government has committed to increasing renewable energy in a bid to reach net zero, all while demand continues to soar. Given the aging state of the National Grid, Rebecca Collins examines what this all means for rural residents and landowners.

After four months of political uncertainty and an equal number of cabinet reshuffles, the Government wheels are again starting to turn. The backlog of policy is beginning to come through, with Defra secretary Therese Coffey unveiling plans for the new environmental schemes at the CLA conference. Against a background of the fourth financial statement in as many months, Jeremy Moody discusses the economic outlook for farmers and rural businesses.

Devolution has come to fore in recent years, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic and the level of control each part of the United Kingdom has over agricultural and environmental policy. As such, Jeremy Moody takes this opportunity to provide a practical overview of devolution and the different policies being developed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In this podcast, with the figures from the latest CAAV Agricultural Land Occupation Surveys, Jeremy Moody provides an overview of the state of the tenanted sector.  In particular, he reviews the variety of lengths of FBTs and the reasons for them before considering the opportunities for and threats to the let sector from new policies.