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Farming Today: 29/06/21 - An eco-label for food, living mulch and the design of farm buildings

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29/06/21 - An eco-label for food, living mulch and the design of farm buildings

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 29/06/21 - An eco-label for food, living mulch and the design of farm buildings

Can a single eco-label tell you how sustainable your food is - from carbon emissions and water usage to packaging and transport?

Three UK supermarkets and global food processors Nestle and Tyson, have agreed to try out an eco-label which shows shoppers how sustainable their food is. The system measures carbon emissions, water usage, biodiversity impact, processing, packaging and transport. It will appear on the packaging with an overall rating from A+ to D - and looks a bit like the eco-rating on white goods. Anna Hill finds out more about how it will work.

We visit a farm where they're trialling a so called "living mulch" by growing a permanent layer of clover beneath a cash crop like oats or wheat. The aim is that this clover boosts the cereal while stopping weeds from growing, improving the health of the soil, and capturing carbon. It can also be used to graze livestock once the cash crop has been harvested!

And we all enjoy walking into an impressive or well-designed building, whether it’s a cathedral or country cottage. We hear from a Nuffield Scholar who has looked in to the impact farm buildings can have on people and animals.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

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29/06/21 - An eco-label for food, living mulch and the design of farm buildings

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