Posted: 27th May 2024
We are hugely grateful to The Pebble Trust for offering us a further two years of funding to continue working in Scotland promoting CSA. They are also helping support two Scottish CSAs to be part of our 2024 Incubator scheme. Read More...
Posted: 26th May 2024
Basic Income For Farmers (BI4Farmers) Launches Landmark Discussion Paper Basic Income For Farmers (BI4Farmers) has just published their first discussion paper, “Sowing the Seeds of Stability: The Case for a Basic Income for Farmers, Farmworkers, and Food Producers in the UK.” This groundbreaking document advocates for the implementation of a... Read More...
Posted: 28th April 2024
In a bid for change, a collective voice rises, advocating for a pivotal shift: doubling the farming budget. The reasoning is simple yet profound—it’s the linchpin for steering the agricultural sector toward a more sustainable path. At its core, the movement acknowledges a fundamental truth: food is a basic human... Read More...
Posted: 30th January 2024
Concerns about the Food Standards Agency’s framework for regulating gene-edited foods Last year the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 was passed in Westminster, which represents a dramatic de-regulation of genetically engineered organisms. CSA Network UK recently responded to a consultation seeking views on Food Standards Agency (FSA) proposals on... Read More...
Posted: 20th December 2023
The House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee’s 2022–23 report, titled “Sowing the Seeds: A Blooming English Horticultural Sector,” focuses on the state and prospects of the horticultural industry. It contains evidence of why this country would benefit from backing its horticultural sector. The document delves into critical aspects, including workforce... Read More...
Posted: 20th December 2023
Hull City Council’s move to give people the ‘right to grow’ on unused council land has a rebellious spirit that echoes the sentiments of Gerald Winstanley and The Diggers Movement from centuries ago. Winstanley fought for the common man’s right to cultivate and share the land, challenging the established order.... Read More...
Posted: 18th December 2023
One of our new members, Mike Long from Suffolk, is logging his progress as a new CSA with a solidarity scheme integrated from the off. Over the coming months, Mike will take us along with him on his journey of getting a CSA running. I’m Mike, and along with my... Read More...
Posted: 30th June 2023
“Cultivating Success” was developed by the Fruit and Vegetable Alliance (a group of industry representatives from across the UK horticulture sector, of which we are a member) to inform the government’s Horticulture Strategy and set out our key short and long-term goals for a thriving UK horticulture sector. Now, more... Read More...
Posted: 22nd April 2023
We are among a number of organisations who have signed a joint open letter to the Secretary of State calling for action on the delayed Dairy Code of Conduct. In 2021 it was announced that the new statutory Code would seek to “provide a guiding framework, establishing minimum standards but... Read More...
Posted: 22nd April 2023
If you have any leftover seeds that would otherwise go to waste, Seeds for Ukraine can find them a good home. Last year they helped 10,000 families grow crops and provide food for themselves, and they aim to provide 100,000 families with seeds this year. The charity provides essential seeds... Read More...
Posted: 22nd April 2023
The new Genetic Technology Act is now law in the UK; however, a huge amount of safety regulations have been removed, such as labelling, traceability, ongoing monitoring, and environmental, health and safety assessments. The bill extends beyond the usual agricultural crops into a far wider range of plants, farmed animals,... Read More...
Posted: 5th February 2023
Defra has announced that the Government will increase its payments to farmers delivering sustainable food production under the Environmental Land Management Scheme. Check out the announcement here. Read More...
Posted: 22nd October 2022
CSA Network UK has become a signatory to a letter to food retailers. 5 October 2022 We are writing to you, as leaders from civil society and the food and agriculture sector, who are committed to ensuring that all citizens have access to high-quality, nutritious food produced by environmentally friendly,... Read More...
Posted: 21st October 2022
Policy update by Tali Eichner In September, the appointment of a new government brought speculation about the future of the new Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs). Defra has since confirmed that they are committed to going ahead with the schemes, although statements on the subject are somewhat vague, albeit with... Read More...
Posted: 17th October 2022
Last few places – starts next week! The Art of Invitation explores creative ways of engaging communities in the ecological, cultural, and social challenges of our time. These workshops offer new, creative tools for change that can be used as resources for you and your projects, groups, communities, and organisations. ... Read More...
Posted: 12th March 2022
If you’re a member of CSA Network UK, you should have received our recent email asking if you can complete our annual survey. The words you never want to hear, “can I ask you to fill in our survey?” I get it. I have an ‘anti-survey defence radar system’ in... Read More...
Posted: 11th March 2022
We’ve all heard the story of the city kid who didn’t know carrots grow in the ground or that milk came out of a cow. You would hope that things are better these days and children are taught more in schools about where their food comes from. Just knowing where... Read More...
Posted: 11th March 2022
Defra are requesting input to their current consultation on banning the retail sale of peat for use in horticulture. Peat is an brilliant medium for growing plants in. It retains moisture and I’m sure that many growers (including domestic ones) would struggle to produce a decent plant without it. However,... Read More...Copyright 2024. All Rights Reserved