First-year results of a major carbon footprinting study have shown a huge variation in greenhouse gas emissions from beef and sheep farms across the UK.

The average carbon footprint of a kilo of beef was 26.2kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)/kg deadweight, while that of a kilo of lamb was 22.3kg.

However, results ranged from less than 10kg CO2e/kg deadweight, to more than 55kg for both cattle and sheep, in the 354 farms involved in the Programme for the Improvement in Sustainability of Red Meat (Prism) study.

The UK has become the first European country to approve putting lab-grown meat in pet food.

Regulators cleared the use of chicken cultivated from animal cells, which lab meat company Meatly is planning to sell to manufacturers.

The company says the first samples of its product will go on sale as early as this year, but it would only scale its production to reach industrial volumes in the next three years.

Tesco is to trial a methane-reducing feed supplement in a bid to lower the carbon footprint of its milk producers.

The retailer announced its new plan in partnership with one of its key UK dairy suppliers, Grosvenor Farms in Cheshire - one of the original members of the Tesco Sustainable Dairy Group (TSDG) - where 400 cows will now have the supplement added to their feed.

The feed will incorporate an ingredient called Bovaer® Supplied by dsm-firmenich, it has been shown to decrease methane emissions by up to 30%. If implemented across the whole of Grosvenor Farms, it could lead to an overall reduction in farm greenhouse gas emissions of up to 12%.

Gene editing could help speed the widespread adoption of regenerative farming practices through introducing desirable traits into crop plants faster. This is according to Prof Giles Oldroyd, director of the Crop Science Centre at the University of Cambridge.

He was speaking on a panel about the potential risks and rewards of gene editing for sustainable food and farming at Groundswell. Giles highlighted that current breeding was targeted for high input farming and meant that the traits suited and required within a regenerative system were often completely absent currently.

“We need to adapt our crop plants to a regen farming system to maximise performance,” he said. “Currently, regen farmers have a choice of either growing a generally underperforming heirloom variety like spelt – which was last genetically improved in the early 1900s – or use a green revolution variety that’s bred for highly intensive agriculture.”

Agri-tech firm Saga Robotics has announced a significant expansion of its Thorvald robotic services across the UK for the upcoming growing season.

With newly established hubs across the country, Saga has become a provider of autonomous robotic services, with hopes of setting a new standard for efficient strawberry production.

The agri-tech firm is operating on an area four times larger than last season due to strategic expansion and collaboration with nine leading strawberry growers.

As the general election approaches, the major political parties have emphasised the importance of domestic food security, and the need to achieve a better balance between farming and the environment.

But the critical role of agricultural science and innovation in delivering those objectives has scarcely been mentioned.

Here, five members of the pro-innovation think tank Science for Sustainable Agriculture set out their top policy recommendations for the next government.

If the European Union chooses to invest in gene edited crops, the Scottish government would not follow suit according to First Minister John Swinney.

The SNP leader spoke to The SF confirming the party’s opinion on the issue during his visit of The Royal Highland Show alongside minister for agriculture Jim Fairlie.

“The SNP’s stance is not to pursue GE. Even if they wish to in Europe, it is not in our interest,” Mr Swinney explained. “Here in Scotland we produce a high quality of produce and I would not like to take away from that.”

The Danish government will introduce Europe’s first carbon tax on agriculture, after a five-month negotiation with farming and conservation groups ended in a historic agreement on Monday night.

From 2030 farmers will have to pay 120 Danish krone (€16) per metric ton of emitted carbon dioxide equivalent, rising to 300 krone (€40) from 2035 onwards.

The government will also provide €5.3 billion to reforest 250,000 hectares of agricultural land by 2045, set aside 140,000 of lowland by 2030, and buy out certain farms to reduce nitrogen emissions.

Three leading carbon calculator providers have agreed to harmonise their different methodologies for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions on farm.

Farm Carbon Toolkit, Agrecalc, and Cool Farm Alliance have all signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which will see the companies work closer together on their carbon calculation products.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw took to social media to welcome the initiative. He said: “Harmonisation of carbon calculators is absolutely essential in delivering accurate, repeatable and representative results.”

Plant scientists are demanding the next government prioritise the introduction of gene editing, to help accelerate the development of crops with increased yields, improved climate resilience and reduced environmental footprints.

Niab chief executive Mario Caccamo told a Westminter Forum on Monday (17 June) that, despite the Precision Breeding Act being passed more than a year ago, the required secondary legislation had not yet been implemented.

Even though Defra and Food Standards Agency officials had prepared the necessary implementing rules, the “unexpected hiatus” caused by the early general election announcement had derailed the process. Prof Caccamo said that was “hugely disappointing”. Without the secondary legislation, the Act remains an “empty shell” and serves no functional purpose.