25/03/26 Environmental regulation, geese, The Enclosure Act and the farming landscape.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers. This week we've been taking a look back through history, to discover the foundations of our farming and landscape. If you've ever wondered why we have so many hedges or why rural Britain looks like it does today you have to go back to one of the most seismic events which happened over 200 years ago - The Enclosure Act. It not only shaped what we see in the countryside but also changed rural communities forever. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too?Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be dispatched before they're cooked, as painlessly as possible.All week we're taking a step back in time, and looking at the history of farming over the last couple of centuries. Today we're rewinding to experience the country's last remaining example of the medieval three field crop rotation system, in the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A farmer with six hundred tonnes of potatoes he can't sell is blaming changing consumer tastes. GB Potatoes says this year is a “tough market” for growers, as a bumper crop this year has caused an oversupply.This week we're looking at the history of farming and what that tells us about what drives change in farming and food. One of the biggest seed and chemical crop protection companies in the world is expanding their operation in the UK.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. What difference will it make? We hear from farmers, environmentalists and the Countryside Alliance who are worried about what it means for field sports.Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills. New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks have come into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds. All week we've been looking at food processing - today we see how you add value to oats by turning them into a drink.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Computer says no - why nearly 4,000 farmers are excluded from the government’s new environmental support schemes. Scottish seed potato growers have been gathering in Dundee this week to hear how a 5-year long project might save their industry from the impact of a tiny but devastating worm, called the potato cyst nematode.We’re looking into how the food our farmers grow is processed all this week. Most of the beans and peas we grow for human consumption in the UK pass through just one large processing company. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

We get reaction to the Government's 'vision for how we use our land'. What difference will England's Land Use Framework make?And oats - they're increasingly attractive as a crop because they need relatively low inputs, are compatible with environmentally friendly rotations, and are rising in value in food markets. Like the oat drink market, for people looking for an alternative to dairy. All this week we are looking at food processing, and today we see how you get from an oat to a drink.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. There'll be support to grow more drought and flood resilient strains of crop - to help farmers adapt to a changing climate. We speak to farming minister Angela Eagle as she tours the crop research unit at Reading University farm. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills. We speak to the Rural Services Network which welcomes the support, but says a long term strategy's needed to reflect the extra costs of living and working in the countryside.New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks are coming into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The government says livestock numbers have doubled since then, and more people are visiting the countryside with their dogs. The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds. We speak to a dairy farmer from Cheshire whose livestock have been attacked about the difference the new laws will make.All week we're looking at food processing. We visit one of Scotland's biggest venison processors to hear how the raw product is delivered to them and how they deal with wildly fluctuating supplies. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

New research reveals the impact of war on the soils of Ukraine, and in a country once called the breadbasket of Europe that could have long term repercussions. Farmers in South Wales are warning that “sheep will starve” if urgent steps aren’t taken to create access for suppliers cut off following a significant landslip. It has closed the main road to the village of Llanthony since the end of January.All this week we are looking at food processing. Food and drink is Britain's biggest manufacturing sector with an annual turnover of about £148 billion - that's according to the Food and Drink Federation which represents these businesses, and it warns that at the moment weak consumer demand and cost pressures make this a difficult sector to be in. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Lab-grown meat, edible insects and 3D printed mash could be on plates in the next couple of decades. A new report from the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland looks at the innovative food technologies most likely to reach us consumers by 2035 - and how they can be regulated to make sure they're safe. The government forecast for farm business income in England for this financial year has been released. The figures underline the difficult financial decisions many are facing. With the exeception of dairy farms and some lowland grazing businesses, all farming is forecast to see a drop in income in comparison with last year - and as the figures were compiled in February, the recent falls in the milk price may yet have an impact on that. This week we're looking at fertilisers - one husband and wife team, who're engineers, have developed a system using enzymes to process chicken muck. They say this type of fertiliser is more efficient to use and will help stop pollution running off farmland into rivers.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney