Farming Today - 31/07/26 Calls for a food system change, the reality of farming in drought, pressure on rivers
As drought spreads across the UK we hear calls for our water and food systems to change. The lack of water, the miserable harvest and an unpredictable geo-political situation add up to expose the fragility of the UK's food system according to a cross section of supermarkets, food producers and campaigners who've written to the new Prime Minister. They want Andy Burnham to introduce a Good Food Bill for England.
The environmental charity, River Action, says too many businesses are taking water from rivers, and the Government should review the abstraction licence system. It says that trillions of litres of water are being taken from rivers, lakes and aquifers every year and that as pressure on resources grows, the UK needs a fully funded water resilience plan.
The drought is causing problems for livestock farmers; grass doesn't grow in scorched fields so they're having to look at other ways of feeding their animals.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
Published on Friday, 31st July 2026.
Available Podcasts from Farming Today
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Farming Today webpage.