12092019

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Newbury Business Today

FARM BLOG: More than one way to kill a climate problem

Much as we can say that largely we don’t engage in this intensive factory farming of larger livestock, the calls for change are persistent and it’s inevitable that livestock farming here will suffer, whether or not European markets dry up as predicted if we make that hard Brexit. People’s food desires are changing, however could this just be a short-term millennial/middle class movement? Veganism and vegetarianism are on the rise – intensive farming of mushrooms and other crops doesn’t seem to have the same emotional impact. In fact, there is high praise for the company in London that intensively farms salad crops entirely underground. It has been a real TV star. Vegetables, after all, feel no pain – or do they? We shall never know, although they certainly react to the stimulus of artificial light. Producing a kilo of beef requires many more kilos of vegetable matter and litres of water being consumed by the animal before slaughter. Careful breeding has ensured that the conversion rate of food matter to meat is spectacular in many species and getting an animal perfect for slaughter is a skill that must not be underestimated. We must be careful how we interpret the figures provided

LIVESTOCK – and particularly beef – farming has come sharply into media focus as an example of poor Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report into climate change and farming. It could be true where intensive feed lots are utilised, as they cram huge numbers of animals beefed up with hormone growth promoters into massive pens where food grown in the surrounding thousands of acres is sprayed to them from passing forage wagons. It’s a typical system in the United States and also in South America, where virgin jungle is being cleared to form feed lots. Here in the UK and the wider He is director of a business managing and farming more than 6,500 acres of arable land split between Berkshire and south Oxfordshire land use following the publication of the UN TOM Bishop is an associate partner at BCM Rural Property Specialists serving the Berkshire and Oxfordshire agricultural community through its Oxford office at Ipsden. To understand how farming without production subsidies may affect the industry in post-Brexit Britain, he undertook an in-depth study tour of New Zealand. LAW firm IrwinMitchell has been recognised for its commitment to Britain’s Armed Forces – becoming the largest business in the legal sector to receive such an award. The company, which employs 3,000 people and has 15 offices across the UK, includ- ing in Newbury, has won a Silver Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recogni- tion Scheme. Lieutenant Colonel Julian Salusbury, commanding officer of Yorkshire Officer Training Regiment, joined Irwin Mitchell’s group chief execu- tive Andrew Tucker to mark the award. Lt Col Salusbury said: “I am delighted to congratulate Irwin Mitchell on its success in winning this award. “A Silver Award recognises that the company has made a fantastic effort to provide fresh opportunities and tangible, best-practice support to reservists, veterans and the wider military family. “The Armed Forces Commu- nity puts huge value on the commitment of employers who understand the business bene- fits that employing reservist or veteran can bring.” Mr Tucker said: “I’m proud and delighted to receive this award on behalf of Irwin Mitchell. “The Forces community is important to us on a number of levels. “We are committed to the

western world we throw up our hands in horror at such methods. After all, we are busy farming our own land cleared many centuries ago so we now want that faraway jungle to do the job of our absent trees. Intensive beef farming as we know it in the Americas is not common in the UK. Dairy units can be intensive with animals kept in sheds rather than fields, but don’t make mistake over-winter livestock housing as the same thing as it can serve a different purpose, to conserve the ground to encourage early spring grass growth. Some claim our grass-based system could actually be a climate change mitigator due to its carbon-sink abilities.

as they can be manipulated in a number of ways. However, it won’t be climate concerns alone that alter the way we farm our livestock. We rely on export markets wanting our high-quality produce and for that we influence the way other people eat. China, and Asia more widely, is seeing rising demand for

Here in the South we are mainly arable, but in areas where livestock farming is more familiar expect a real change in the way our country looks. If animals disappear, so too will small fields surrounded by hedgerows in favoured holiday destinations like Devon and Cornwall. Be careful what you wish for.

beef, pork, and dairy produce from the West, and the UK is a favoured source. With the Far East diet rapidly changing, when do we think the vegan and eco farming movement may come in that region? A market reliant on more than a billion people could have a dramatic shift on suppliers, should tastes alter.

Law firm wins Silver Award for championing UK Armed Forces

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Lieutenant Colonel Julian Salusbury, left,and Irwin Mitchell ’s group chief executive Andrew Tucker

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nel.” Now in its fifth year, the ERS Silver Awards reward employ- ers who employ and support those who serve, veterans and their families – typically by putting in place employment practices that support reservists to train and mobilise and veterans to transition to civilian life.

ethos of the Armed Forces Covenant. “Some of our regional offices are situated alongside major military hubs and we are part of those communities. “In addition, the military is a good recruitment channel for us as we seek to constantly hire talent and we also act for many Ministry of Defence person-

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