Today's News - 11 January 2013 - 11 January 2013

“. . .we cannot blame the waste entirely on the marketing techniques of the big chains or waste in the food chain from field to plate. We are often too fussy, too ignorant and too careless to reject the soft option of throwing stuff in the bin.”
Michael White, The Guardian (10 Jan)  
 

UK supermarkets reject ‘wasted food’ report claims
Britain’s biggest supermarkets have been defending their practices after a report suggested that up to half of the world’s food is thrown away. The British Retail Consortium said supermarkets have "adopted a range of approaches" to combat waste. "Retailers want to help customers make their money go further," it said. "They've also adopted a range of approaches to help people make the best use of the food they buy, including giving clear storage advice and recipe ideas, and offering a wider range of portion sizes
The BBC online (10 January)


How much water is needed to produce food and how much do we waste?
As much as 50% of all food produced in the world ends up as waste every year according to figures from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The amount of water wasted globally in growing crops that never reach the consumer is estimated at 550bn cubic metres.
The Guardian (10 January)


New badger cull board to decide pilot areas
A new partnership board comprising Defra, Natural England, the NFU and the police will decide where the planned pilot badger culls take place this year. A decision is expected to be made in the early part of this year to give the two areas, and a possible reserve, sufficient time to prepare.
Farmers' Guardian (10 January)


Former ministers slug it out over Severn Barrage
A proposed “barrage” across the mouth of the River Severn to generate energy would be “environmentally disastrous”, a former Government minister has said. Mr Fox suggests that instead of an 18km (11 mile) barrage from Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare we have an opportunity to embrace a series of smaller, less harmful schemes along the river.
The Telegraph (10 January)


Climate Change Levy reduction targets announced
Changes are being introduced to Climate Change Levy (CCL) discounts at the end of March that mean higher rebates will be available at lower targets for pig and poultry businesses.
Farmers Weekly, (10 January) 


Lamb losses mount in difficult market
Lamb producers are losing an average of £29 a head, after prices reached their lowest level since November 2009.
Farmers Weekly (10 January) 

Farming Today
Thousands of sheep and cattle have been killed in the bush fires sweeping across New South Wales and Tasmania, costing farmers millions of dollars. The Government's launched a new plan to rescue the ailing honey bee population in England and Wales. It will include more training for beekeepers and a code of welfare for bees. Also in the programme, an insight into intensive duck farming.
BBC Radio 4 (11 January)


And finally…
A dozen killer whales, trapped and facing near-certain death in the frozen expanse of Canada's Hudson Bay, broke free on Thursday morning, to the vast relief of locals and many thousands monitoring their plight online.
The Guardian 10 January