104: How will the Agriculture Act impact sustainable farming?

<div>The Agriculture Act has been regarded as the first landmark piece of post-Brexit legislation by the UK Government. Passed in November, the act sets out how farmers and land-owners in the country will be rewarded for adopting sustainable food production practices.</div> <div> <br> What impact will it have, and how is the act viewed by farmers and land-owners? Will the new legislation change farming and food production for the better? We’ve assembled a panel to discuss these points and more. Joining host Stefan Gates are Professor Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation, Cranfield Soil and AgriFood Institute, Vicki Hird, Head of Sustainable Farming, Food and Farm Policy, Sustain, Emily Norton, Head of Rural Research, Savills UK and Mark Coulman, Chair, Tenants Farming Association.</div> <div><strong><br> About our panel</strong></div> <div><strong><br> Professor Jane Rickson, Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation, Cranfield Soil and AgriFood Institute</strong></div> <div> <br> Professor Jane Rickson has over 30 years’ experience of research, consultancy and teaching in soil and water engineering, specialising in soil degradation processes and sustainable land management. Her work has focused on better understanding of soil functions and their role in the delivery of ecosystems goods and services, including water regulation, agricultural production and carbon storage. She uses multi-disciplinary approaches to integrate fundamental and applied land resources science at a range of spatial and temporal scales.</div> <div> <br> Her work is directed at Research Councils, industry, farmers and policy makers. Recent projects include: Development of a Soil Management Information System (AHDB); Better understanding of the soil protection landscape (Defra); Developing a conceptual framework for a soil impact metric for agricultural and commodity supply chains (Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge; CISL); Review of the England and Wales soils evidence base (Welsh Governmen