In response to reports of land being bought up in Wales for the purpose of tree planting and carbon sequestration, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) hosted a well received webinar on 19 January titled ‘Preventing Wales' Corporate Carbon Land Grab: Balancing carbon, trees and rural communities’.

Chaired by FUW Policy Officer, Teleri Fielden, the webinar gave an insight into the situation in Wales.

As part of Wales’ route to Net Zero, the Welsh Government has set an ambitious target of planting an additional 180,000 hectares (ha) with trees by 2050 and to improve woodland management. This is equivalent to 10% of Welsh farmland.

Mrs Fielden explained that the future value of carbon offsets is also driving afforestation and land purchases. However, the current carbon market is voluntary therefore private companies can purchase carbon credits without having to reduce their emissions in the first instance.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales is once again joining forces with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) to showcase the important role farmers play when it comes to looking after farmland birds, as well as helping farmers understand what they can do on their farms to protect birds.

Arranging a series of events ahead of the Big Farmland Bird Count (4-20 February), the FUW is jointly hosting a webinar with the GWCT on Tuesday 1 February, at 7pm via Zoom, as well as 2 on-farm information events. 

The North Wales event is held on Thursday 3 February and is hosted by FUW President Glyn Roberts; the South Wales event will be held on Tuesday 8 February and is hosted by FUW Deputy President Ian Rickman.

The Meirionnydd Branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales is putting the spotlight on the future at its annual general meeting which will be held by Zoom on Friday 28 January at 7.30pm.

The theme for this year’s event is “What will sustain our family farms in the future”and guest speakers addressing the challenging question are James Owen, Deputy Director, Land Management Reform, Welsh Government and Dr Prysor Williams, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University.

FUW Meirionnydd County Executive Officer Huw Jones said:

“The meeting is held at a time when significant and very important change is coming to the agricultural industry, and many farmers want to know what lies ahead.

A traditional cooked breakfast is one of the best ways to highlight the quality of Welsh farm produce and it is a great opportunity to talk and share your thoughts before starting the day.

To promote the health benefits and enjoy the outstanding food our farmers produce every day, as well as getting farmers round the table for a chat, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) Brecon and Radnor team is hosting a farmhouse breakfast in aid of the FUW’s Farmhouse Breakfast Week.

The event is held at the FUW Pavilion on the Royal Welsh Showground on Monday 24 January at 9am and is open to all. Though there is no charge for the breakfast,  any donations will be in aid of the mental health charity, the DPJ Foundation.