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Farming Today: 12/10/22 - Gene editing, rural cost of living, fertiliser

12/10/22 - Gene editing, rural cost of living, fertiliser

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 12/10/22 - Gene editing, rural cost of living, fertiliser

Public dialogue on genome editing, rural cost of living, and global fertiliser production.

Scientists' public dialogue on genome editing, a cross-party parliamentary inquiry into the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas, and fertiliser production across the globe.

As the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill goes through parliament, scientists are engaging in a public dialogue. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics say people want more clarity on the government’s overarching plan for the future of food and farming, in order to understand how genome editing would fit into it. 

MPs are launching an inquiry into the cost-of-living crisis in rural areas. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Business will be collecting evidence. Just last month a report by the Rural Services Network showed rural households on a low income now spend about 5% more than low-income households in urban areas. It also found because of a greater reliance on cars, rural households spend on average about £114 a week on transport, compared to £80 for urban households. We speak to the Country Land and Business Association which is supporting the cross-party inquiry.

All week we’ve been talking about International Trade - mostly looking at food - but the inputs needed to grow that food account for a huge part of international trade, and the war in Ukraine has disrupted the usual flow of that business. We speak to a commodities analyst who specialises in fertilisers. She paints a picture of fertiliser production across the globe and how that has changed in the past year.

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12/10/22 - Gene editing, rural cost of living, fertiliser

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