Farming Today

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Farming Today: 26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring and hempcrete

26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring and hempcrete

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring and hempcrete

Farmers head to Westminster to protest over food security.

Farmers stage a protest rally in Westminster to send politicians a message about supporting British food production.

Farmers have been gathering in London's Parliament Square to protest about what they feel is a lack of support for British food production. Organisers said they have three demands: first, a ban on what they see as 'dishonest' labelling where food imported and processed in Britain can be labelled as British; second, they want the UK to withdraw from the Australian and New Zealand Trade Deals; and third, they want a clear plan for 'food security'.

Herring used to be a mainstay of communities up and down the west coast of Scotland. In the early 1900s Scotland was producing 2 million barrels of herring a year, but by the 60s and 70s, stocks of herring had been over-fished and collapsed.  Since then, they've struggled to return, but a huge new spawning ground has been spotted by satellite. 

And, hemp has traditionally been used to make hardwearing textiles - things like ropes and canvas for sails. But it can also be used to build houses using a material called hempcrete! Film-maker, Steve Barron, who's best known for directing music videos, bought some farmland back in 2017, and decided to "grow his own home".

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

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