Mark Spencer news and analysis
Mark Spencer is a former farming minister and was a liaison with retail on supply chains. During his time in government, The Grocer covered his contributions to food policy.
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Analysis & FeaturesIs genetic crop engineering the key to climate-resilient agriculture?
With backing from Labour, precision bred crops could be on their way to UK farms. But the complex issue divides both the industry and the public
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NewsFarming consortium calls for national food security plans from Defra
CLEAR has welcomed the new secretary of state for Defra, Steve Reed, but urged the government to commit to accountability and transparency measures
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NewsElection 2024: Minette Batters appointed a life peer as Labour romps to victory
Batters will sit as a non-party political, cross-bench peer once sworn in at the House of Lords
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Analysis & FeaturesBrexit laws: solving the impossible puzzle
Eight years on from the referendum, the ‘bonfire’ of EU red tape has yet to really get going. So what are the potential benefits, and what are the pitfalls as civil servants struggle under the regulatory strain?
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NewsDefra unveils ‘improved’ Sustainable Farming Incentive
The much-maligned replacement for EU subsidies will now pay farmers for 102 sustainability-led actions
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NewsUK fishing industry to benefit from technology to manage stocks
The technology – known as Remote Electronic Monitoring – involves using cameras, gear sensors and GPS units to make sure catches are accurately recorded
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Analysis & FeaturesFarming Recovery Fund: fit for purpose or ‘complete nonsense’?
Many farms hit by flooding are ineligible for the support fund
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NewsDefra unveils multimillion-pound River Wye clean-up action plan
The river has been blighted by agricultural pollution in recent years
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NewsMajor issues with government flood support scheme, NFU says
The scheme, which offered up to £25,000 to eligible farmers, has been ‘fundamentally let down in the detail’
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NewsGovernment opens fund to support farms hit by flooding
Under the scheme, eligible farmers can access grants of between £500 and £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was in before exceptional flooding
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Analysis & FeaturesHow British are the supermarkets and what’s behind their marketing claims?
Much has been made of online ‘buy British’ sections, but farmers aren’t impressed. A consultation is looking to make claims clearer
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NewsUK lands access to tonnes of haddock and cod with new Faroe Islands deal
The deal will see British fishermen benefit from 920 tonnes of cod and haddock
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NewsSanction loophole sees Russian white fish entering UK via China
Imports from Russia into the UK have declined by 59% in the past year, but imports have increased by 11% from China, a common processor of Russian white fish
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NewsJapan gives Cornish pasties and Staffordshire cheese protected status
An array of British food and drink including Staffordshire cheese and Welsh lamb are getting protected status in Japan
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Comment & Opinion(Un-)inspired? Rishi Sunak says he’s got British food’s back
Food and farming matters to the government in this election year, which is why prime minister Rishi Sunak ventured to the NFU Conference
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NewsProducers falling out of GSCOP remit as retailers hire more middlemen
Retailers will save time by using the middlemen to negotiate for them as buyers ‘have bigger buying areas than ever before’
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NewsDefra proposes changes to egg labelling rules to support British industry
Currently when mandatory housing orders are introduced, eggs from free-range birds may continue to be labelled as ‘free-range’ for 16 weeks and then must be labelled as barn eggs
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NewsFWD calls on Westminster to unlock growth and prosperity in the wholesale sector
FWD is aiming to kickstart a conversation on how the sector’s “knotty challenges” can be addressed in order to “turbocharge growth” for wholesalers across the UK
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Comment & OpinionHow the government is empowering farming innovation
The government stands firmly behind innovation, research and development as the cornerstones of modern farming practices, says farming minister Mark Spencer
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NewsDefra calls for ‘fairness’ in sugar beet price negotiations amid ongoing dispute
British Suagr has been accused by the NFU of approaching growers directly, in contravention of the established process of price negotiations