Revamped agri-environment schemes could play a major role in ensuring we get maximum ecological and economic returns from UK land, according to research findings drawn from across the Relu programme.   Briefing paper no 12, "Informing the Reform and Implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy", identifies key points from RELU research that could help to steer the reform of the CAP, currently underway.  

Carbon Brief, a new online project has recently been launched.  Its focus is not just on providing information about climate change (or rather signposting you to that information) but about how climate change science and stories are communicated.

Allied Bakeries have carbon footprinted three of their Kingsmill range of bread loaves.  In this article they say that the process has helped them reduce emissions - that they also feel positive that while the buying public don’t yet understand carbon labels, the lables act as a pointer that a company is actually doing something, and that in itself is good for competitive advantage.  

The world’s second-largest palm oil company has agreed to stop clearing Indonesian forests and peatlands.  Golden Agri-Resources Limited (GAR), part of the $2.3 billion Sinar Mas group, is the largest palm oil producer in Indonesia, and the first Indonesian company to make such a commitment.  

Defra has just published the findings of research, undertaken by the Agriculture and Environment Research Unit (AERU) at the University of Hertfordshire, in collaboration with the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) and the Food Ethics Council (FEC), titled Effective approaches to environmental labelling of food products - FO0419.  

Details and abstract follow of a paper written by FCRN mailing list member, Chris Smaje, entitled Industrial or agro-ecological farming: performance indicators in the UK (2011).   Abstract This paper examines the performance of conventional, high-input ‘industrial’ farming and agro-ecological smallholding across seven different indicators of performance: Productivity per unit area. Productivity per unit cultivated area. Nutritionally necessary productive capacity. Productivity per unit labour.

"Longer lasting products", is a book edited by FCRN mailing list member, Tim Cooper. The present economic system requires us to consume and throw away more and more goods. Yet often it's our desire, and the best interests of the environment, for these goods to last.