Oil prices surged Russia's economy heavily dependent on energy exports is set to gain and the assassination very much pleased to President Putin's narrative that it's America not Russia which is an aggressive power flouting international law Iraqi state television says there's been another air strike in the country 24 hours after the killing of General Salim money it said the u.s. Had targeted a convoy of Iranian backed Iraqi militia north of the capital Baghdad there's been no comment from Washington Australia has mobilized reserve troops to help tackle wildfires which have now claimed 23 lives 2 deaths were reported during the night on Kangaroo Island off the coast of Adelaide Forecasters say strong winds and high temperatures today could drive the flames closer to heavily populated areas the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the extra troops the governor general signed off on the call out of this trying to fence Force Reserve to surge and bring every possible capability to the beer by deploying Army Reserve brigades to fire affected communities across Australia 2 prominent Labor backbenchers have joined the contest to be the next leader saying they can help the party reconnect with its traditional heartlands Jess Phillips said more honesty was needed while Lisa Nandy argued that towns and regions should be given more power. A new report has warned that deaths caused by the drug Sentinel are on the rise in the u.k. It's a synthetic opioid which has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths in North America the advisory council on the Misuse of Drugs says the government must act to tackle the threat posed by Sentinel Michael b. Callan reports originally designed as a painkiller it has entered the illegal drugs market being synthetically produced and nodded to other substances usually had or when it's Putins it means that even small doses can be deadly policy advisers say that while Fentanyl is not as great a problem here as it is particularly in the u.s. The number of deaths linked to it grows from 8 in 2008 to 135 in 2017 despite it being categorized as an illegal class a substance new research suggests the number of people who've never had a job has risen by more than 50 percent over the past 20 years despite overall employment rising to record levels over the same period the Resolution Foundation of think tank focusing on people on low incomes says increases partly because far fewer teenagers are working Saturday jobs. That's the b.b.c. News now a look at the weekend weather with Phil Avery hi chris Here's my Says the age of fear a quick look at England Wales forecast 1st up for the day the flow is coming in from the Atlantic therefore it's more east it's miles and it's really leaden with cloud I'm afraid there's not very much in the way of sunshine favored spots today for perhaps the eastern side of the Welsh hills the eastern side of the Pentagon's one or 2 spots in East Anglia could see some sunshine think a cloud there all the while across the western slopes the pennants the western side of Wales maybe just running through the channel as well the old spot of rain from this not amounting to very much just taking the surprise out of that $7.00 to $10.00 will cover it for Northern Ireland here too pretty cloudy affair you're a little bit closer to where the fronts of the cloud perhaps a wee bit more persistent and again thick enough at times for the odd spot to rain temperatures here in the range of $9.00 to $10.00 so mild for the time of year in Scotland finally the bulk of the rain we find out towards the north and northwest today although the shuttle dolls are in clear of fresh conditions with some sunshine but to lose that late afternoon the rain with the by evening always dry in the east temperatures in a range of 6 to 10 Thank you Ville with look at the papers now and Gulf War 3 fear is the Daily Mirror's headline above a warning that Britain could be dragged into a conflict after the assassination of customs on the money a senior u.k. Security source tells the paper that Britain had not been told by Washington about the attack despite the fact that hundreds of British troops deployed to train Iraqi armed forces virtually surrounded by dangerous militia who hate them the Daily Express is critical of President Trump for keeping Boris Johnson in the dark about the attack the paper says allies should surprise our foes not each other the report in The Los Angeles Times says Israel had advance notice of the plan to kill the Iranian general and unnamed Israeli army officer told the paper the assassination did not come as a surprise. The Daily Telegraph says the S.A.'s was ready to kill him saw the money in 2007 when he was identified as the man orchestrating attacks on British troops in Iraq but the operation was called off by the then foreign secretary David Miliband a military commander based in Basra at the time told the paper that after Solomon e. Was located Mr Miliband said he wanted to talk to the Iranians not to kill them Mr Miliband has yet to comment the labor m.p. Lisa Nandy has entered the contest to succeed Jeremy Corbyn augers in the Guardian that the next leader has to be up for a scrap and willing to take anger on the chin the other new contender just Phillips features in the Daily Telegraph she says the party needs a leader who understands why it lost the election rather than someone who believes Mr Corbin's claim that he'd won the argument the Financial Times has interviewed the Russian billionaire man of who says he's considering investing in Everton football club a year after he abandoned an attempt to take control of Arsenal the club's currently struggling both financially and on the page as I look at the papers now on b.b.c. Radio 4 it's time for open country with Sanderson in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire . The door I don't know if. I'm. So pretty sure concretes get parking this film. We put in the filing for your holiday education pace was skateboarding and. We decided to try and make a post sound proof building using straw bales such as a need for use the thing is because we're in an area of our standing up to be a blessing and to do skateboarding somewhere like this we don't want to spoil the neighborhood. I'm here today in the Forest of Dean at Campell caress. Beautiful I mean the road a hill just going into the river why snaking their way through the valley the trees are just dripping with that lovely golden color. Merrily this is quiet it's a chocolate box there are winding roads everywhere and might come here in your holiday . Beauty but I in the middle of a residential skate park skating in the middle of the forest a day all right you can probably hear there's activity there's clanking from in there. I'm a cool picture David Bowie. There's a shop over there there are let out of the tree kids are. Jumping on we've got a couple more buildings here on the signed of skitters coming from inside there Tom See you run the place this is your baby tell me what happens here . We're running a camp that sort of a partnership with. $5050.00 which is like independent support the skate scene for so for 20 years now. With some of the shop. Show skateboarding. And some cost base workshops with kids coming now experiencing like everything from the industry. As well as being out in the countryside and playing with pigs and chickens and enjoying themselves I mean it's all. You do you think of the quiet countryside but it's a real. Well we can show you in. And see what they're doing they're putting shots in and making pizzas and you can just look at all the different from activities that are going to lead. Designer pre-made. On the screen I mean we've got everyone printing that study design we can't 50 design. We don't. We don't only do to shirts who do stuff because during the week I have kids not necessarily at school for different reasons or they're not in mainstream and they come to our Susan of alternative vision and they come to be hands on learning and printmaking is part of the not doing is just kind of. 10 years. In secondary school and then there's a place in America called the element come see y.m.c.a. Skate camp. That inspired this place and not because it's basically getting kids now into the country but using. Activities to engage in with nature they wouldn't necessarily want to go to someone out there so not the kind of kids who are going to go Scouts. But you go if you do skating graffiti and stuff and you call him out in the wilds you know cost is so valuable for it's an Ok game that you should they bring in here are you going to take this one who is. Just what do you think it's been you know pretty cool yes it's easy just to get like a design on to the t. Shirt so that's pretty clear what you're very good at it thank you thank you because going to do you. Is being law this is big this was your fear that they could buy the company or probably the Skateball like it's really fun for our small is and like it is a good boy if you are definitely coming so really good place to enjoy your present day thank you it's good to have my. Car something skitters and you have to do it 20 that you get on a. Spread plan to have like what you're going to go by in the gutter you want to know how Pete's all that. And everything it's still about who got these trucks and stuff they've all been learning what the kids are coming to and we talk has. Gone from being in the spin the thread so with the art head on to he's not really high peaks to do all he did was take off his Japanese turn and Jamie Oliver. We have a guy who is teaching the kids how to use different cameras and he's really hungry . And doing his pizza this is your way everyone happy just don't think that when you've got these weekends on it's pretty nonstop for you yeah. It's moving inside like a good guy. Right to talk to just gets on the game we're all grew up without a right Franklin thing happening over here but good luck getting the skateboard they've got a choice if you just saw in the day get. Just write a great story and then you. Come packaged with this one in front of us here has a really kill him so notifying on how he's going to town on his career it's quite it's eclectic we've got supreme stuff Hans Solo Guitar this is playing and also old school at the same time yeah. Yeah yeah it's. Yes you go especially goal a really cool boy in this get different guy. Says a. Really cool. Kill to enjoy a few skateboard right. It's hectic like me. Always like this this is brilliant Oh there's life everywhere oh a look at the shawl Tell me about this net in the trade got here it's like you've been catching children falling from on high building sites like You know I'm basically it's like a joint tree how much to play and do you want everything in me wants to go out there and. It does look a lot of fun it's like trampoline stroke that stroke it's a train that. It's just you could at a really special place here thank you good sport I mean it's like. Lots of the elements of things that we've experienced in our life and put it all together in a radical skateboard education I said I was worried that I'd have to use words like Robin to say that at least one rod Taliban go. Talk we grab a seat over here see a little far circle Yeah going on yeah I. Like to drive. I grew up in my family my dad ran a independent church. Most of my friends lived in town so thing and I lived on the edge and we were all skating together all the time and then I saw the skate company America and I thought that was amazing but I was also also Williams just going in the woods and I built a little fire area like this when I was little white in my house was out there or if I wasn't skating I was up there and my dad used to wish I could hear his whistle from the house and that was dinner sort of thing and I was always up there always are oh I was out in I do not agree left London basically because I wasn't into being a graphic designer but all my friends I was a bit like more interested in finding a different way of doing things and I went down to personal and I met my wife in music and then we travelled playing sort of Gypsy folk music and stuff like that and she was I want to use your degree and so I'm a bit of a kick and then I trained to be a teacher and then we started looking into for a school leadership and then I showed her you know the element count Merican I was like This is what I want to I saw on thing called for 11 which is watch tonight it's like a magazine that was done on video and came out every month and it was all video and we were not you'd wait for its come out and on that they often had to skate cam and basically yeah they had a we haven't got the like we haven't got the like but they had a run going into a lake we can use what we have got the river why we can use down there. We're yet to do that in camp but we we Will they had the board shaping because we do skate we're shopping here you haven't seen much today and they do finding animal tracks and like. There's this just so you know it's a brilliant idea and I've never forgot about it really strikes me too that you're doing something incredibly urban and associated way. Cities with slight kind of culture a slightly rebellious but you're doing it in the middle of this area of outstanding natural beauty you know it's a real paradox it works but it's a real part of yeah i had loads of people saying to me going to work doesn't make sense and does make sense you just have to imagine it it's that like and it's one of the proofs. If you grew up skating in the ninety's Why has that culture changed between then and not really lucky because every town has got Sky parts decent because you did it presumably it was still a bit of a. National counties at the bank and then there was ramps to get many ramps would drive surrounds but it wasn't like many skate parks at the church all your lives yeah we used to have like steel girders and my dad used to put things in there and we'd stay in there a lot you see I think it's really interesting because growing up the son of a pastor minister you sort of grow up above the shop there's always something happening and. It seems like you've done that you were in way here yeah there's definitely influence and I mean when the church 1st started we lived in this big house. Some And this Sunday School was in this is really where does and it was in the Salah downstairs and there was a table tennis table and and a pool table and they put the kids down then the church was in the living room and join the wait i don't we don't like people that are out of prison coming round mum and dad to be feed in the. This isn't a 1000000 miles away it is for ism I mean I'm not saying I'm a church leader that's not what I'm saying but there are. Nitty together it's about it does bring energy together I definitely really grateful for them showing me how to be a people person Yeah that's quite a it's quite a special skill to have you know you've obviously transpired that there is like a lot that goes on here that isn't skating because it's 17 beds in the bunk house so like one it's not students and it's not like there's a lot of times when the bunk cost of people just accessing the force to doing. Is literally the sugared if you can see from here the office dark path which sort of divides in the wilds mostly the river of why but we're told a country so people like coming here for all that so yeah you're close to sort of you know very pretty little patients here is where you know a lot of it is like chalk a box and then you've got this critical. Skip park in the middle. Where is the main passion is it skidding is a kind of helping kids is it Art what's the main driver for you. I'm on there all the same thing so it's stable comp. Holiday and then education alternative provision for children. Are for different reasons they can't be in mainstream school and it's a lot of children in care or they've got you know difficult circumstances or they don't necessarily fit into a normal way of learning and that's massively important I mean us part of the reason why we did it and we knew it would appear always because you know you don't say we're going to a farm not suit some kids and I you know want to drive a tractor or whatever but some kids that's not them but they when they come here they're straight away I carry this is a farm those pigs but there's coffee breaks down barriers a little bit in terms of how you can get through things yeah. So I've just come going to the area where the garden is and that the little polytunnel is and some playthings for the caves of the cars are parked in times and times and your son's been here this week I am come to pick them up yeah he got on I think he had a great time a bit of a regular Now he says his 3rd visit and what is it that he gets out of it 2 things I think some freedom of independence and feeding really kind of normal in a way because he goes to independent special provision for to stick children so you know in time time he's being taxied off and taxied home and he's only seeing children who are experiencing the difficulties himself and Harry just in with everybody else because they're so inclusive and because of what they're doing and have flexibility is they seem to know even need to make a lot of specialist accommodations for him which is awfully just lovely and presumably that different activities on the norm classroom vibe work well for him as well yeah I think if you're doing something like skating brilliance of physical activity and not really helps because it's quite flexible is while also helps and it's just great to not have to kind of flag up that there's an extra needs that just for a little while they can just I know so in independent schools they don't tend to get a lot of opportunities to kind of go and have time away and stay away where I was obviously the mainstream school by his age they probably would have done at least one school camp so I feel like we've been out to get him something that he would have already missed I one of the wise so amazing to know that he saw my completely happy so happy just remember to text me to say sorry. Just completely fine and I know that I would have the minute there was a problem because I could trust him completely that great really great. We're just looking prepaid theer the chickens doing very much. The way we like. When they. Have all the. Eggs. Under the chicken coop and I'm. Just holding her there are here. For nearly. A 1000000 you. Know. Time in her life yeah she is literally a pagan. Going to finish. What you're damn Briony What is the best advice given I like you all the best. And really all. That is a very good to have it make sure improve it I think I'd say that what's your name my name's Martha Martha and tell me when did you start skiing and 2 years ago only 2 years ago Yeah right yeah. By 3 people white men white trash and tonight we dine and bring your sponsored by 3 people where he must be really good. I learned to do a front side. Ok you need to explain. So you come up there around and then you're bored on to the coping then you come back down in front side turn to come up. Is hard to explain really it's like you know the way and why did you start in the 1st place. My dad gave me his skateboard and I was just rolling a friend down holding his hands in my well you don't live. Yeah yeah yeah I was going to say this is one of the dads who were going to come over and talk to you actually hit. Eyebright Hi Nice to meet you nice to meet you want to be a rope singer here with your daughter Sergei are you still a skater yet. So it must be lovely them to do something about this with your daughter like a real bonding thing yeah it's good to be able to actually do that the support that they're there into is about say you know what is it about skating What is it about it it gave she or her words the kick in it I think it just gives people. Like an unlimited amount of just expression it's sort of like dancing but with falling on the coat great toughens you up for show but it's just a right to express yourself against so it was a low skateboard community is quite closely intertwined with art and music in Suffolk So it's just a bit of an extension of you personally and you know your interests and. Well you know I thank you no coincidence very heart down what he did so being run in a workshop with all the young people over the last few days so filmmaker and a skateboarder I have been since the early ninety's I thought be fun to show the kids today how to make a skate video in the old way with skateboarding everything has to be documented so from a young age you learn how to film yourself skateboard in and why does it have to be documented because it's part of the culture and you learn a trick you film it and then you show people you've learned the trick and it's part of how it works then you make a skate video with your crew and you put it out and then you get in a magazine or way this is how you used to work and then a magazine might come and check your crew out from where you're from and if you want to get sponsored you have to make a sponsor me tight so you have to film yourself in to get recognized and you know it's all part of who here. I've been in many different crews throughout my life but I'm not really in a crime in the dark. They're going to tell. Me I'm saying that they were marching here right because you know you have to do the kids to school have your forming your own. Giving sweet air that oh I have those we are all knowing and so I mean. I mean these days you know I . Mean this is the whole thing not men talking to each other is a problem and you know women have their outlets and men don't really have much of an outlet and I think skateboarding is really good because it's bringing these dads together and they're able to talk about issues that dads don't normally get to talk about and you know it's good. You have that I mean that's a really important element to it that I guess people really think of course you know and you talk about the crew and. It makes people close yeah that altogether. It's making me feel no Several talking about the ninety's like that was that was like 2 weeks ago now it was and I'm realizing that I'm really I was in that when I'm going to digitize this footage all the types to deteriorate. The cameras a break in the back she starts going to misspeak. We just one day from the sort of the patience of forest to a concrete skating rink This is amazing to me like a big death been a bowl at different angles and kids are starting to you know fling themselves are going Donna they're really good. A little jumps in the hall or there's one. He's doing pretty well but oh no he's fine. But this is like something in the city or something and alright that there are heroes on the walls and parachute drips on the sailing. And every part of it seems. To be skating I mean they were standing in the way of some people you. Know what I . Want for you going here like this week I thought Oh. Well today I can not going around the corner. Oh you know we will. Play right up to the wall. Yeah I'm going to ride out the side with the wagon holding the wall on the back of the warning come back and so pretty and I know if. Anything I was going to try to take it. Oh you know that I really. See All right. It's all a bit quieter than it was earlier as night because it's it's the end of the weekend you boys look a bit sad. Going to go but your normal lives tomorrow. At this this point of the weekend successful Yeah this is been made a great accomplishing great if you have good people involved and all of the kids. We go along and we've done like no heavy injuries on this one I don't think you have a broken family so. Hotel been a bit scary like so. To do. A pretty tough you know bit of that you know being here today what really strikes me the kids are having such a great time for going to bite you knew the dads are chilled all right because they knew the kids were in there there's guys up there and then that you know there's kind of chalk. And laughter and then there's that whole feel of trees and beauty and it just strikes me that there's a real freedom about the whole place both. In skating. Play and active a for young people and everyone is just really kids here and it could feel whole person this is such a thing is like on the other side I was teaching you know it's a such a thing it's like culture world we've kind of made it this side come and get involved in radio. Forget about real life and just be in in this and so people love it you love it. It's my 1st time here but the whole you've sat on the box for the week gone so Maison has. Got a place to do it beautiful. Slimy up there was open country from Camp crest in the Forest of Dean it was presented by Ruth Sanderson and produced in Bristol by Beatrice Fenton. You can bury a lifelong condition and you gasping for air terrifying nighttime attacks and the pain was horrendous sometimes 50 attacks a night where was the pain that gamers around us turn your chest your neck doctors were convinced they knew the course later on the blood started on started biting my towel until an astonishing new diagnosis I don't know Mary will talk to Janice and the doctor who discovered the truth the diagnosis on b.b.c. Radio 4 this Tuesday morning at 11. Right here for its farming today this week with Charlotte Smith good morning today we're looking back at the farming year 2019 and forward to what Britain's farmers might expect in 2020 from whether to break that prices to climate change and a good deal in between well we thought we'd start in the O.P.'s place on a farm I went to Wilcher to visit Manette batter's the president of the National Farmers Union. It's a bright day here in Wiltshire this morning though I have to say there is very much the promise of rain in the slightly looking cloud above our heads morning with it Good morning Charlotte do you from where beef sheep and a bit of our ball we have winter grazing polar ponies here that come every year and we have a wetting bunny so every week of the year free weekend we've usually got a wedding done on. Just making our way through the mud a couple of openside is gone through a brief careful play certainly are so we've got quite a few that are still out. Very lucky here where we found a work show we're very much chalk gravel so some winter but quite a few come in you can see the cows and carved in both of these sheds. Let's talk about last year how would you sum up 2090. It was it's hard really to bring it all together I guess I remember the also Farming Conference you know we discussed at the end of 2018 the need to really up the ante we knew extinction rebellion was careering down the track and and we felt as strongly as farmers that you know we could achieve net 0 we needed to be bold we needed to resonate with the public not never before so I remember making that announcement Oxford and then from then on it seemed to be you know no deal deal our opposition of course to the ideal scenario in the run up to March then it came off the table then it was back on of course in the run up top Taber so it seemed to be a tumultuous year where we were running plus out offensively to standstill you know the legislation appeared disappeared just a most extraordinary year or to pick up some of the things you've mentioned let's start obviously with brogues it which did dominate everyone's here really to. Remind you here's a clip of you this time last year went to reason may then prime minister had put a withdrawal deal to Parliament we spoke to the morning after I think there is a need to prepare for new deal the moment it is the only reality that that we face farmers are already learning you know we are the 2nd largest producer of sheep meat in the world 2nd to New Zealand alone and the e.u. Market is a vital export market 40 percent of lamb going into the marketplace and those lambs are being born as we speak and we have pleaded for certainty we've been promised certainty the prime minister ourselves his promises will not be a cliff edge situation this is a cliff edge situation this conversation I'm sure will continue but sadly that's all we've got we had no idea how long the conversation was going to continue forward you mentioned certainty there what has the uncertainty of last year meant. I think a lot of people have been incredibly concerned about what is going to happen in the future I think it stifles investment it's always bad for any business especially for a long term business like farming that you have no idea who you're going to be trading with huge concerns around imports and what is going to happen so that uncertainty I think was a real real concern we'll talk more about the future later in the program but the uncertainty in a sense continues because although Briggs it is clear we're leaving the e.u. The terms under which we do so in trade terms clear but there is a very definite deadline absolutely So you know the Prime Minister's line you know vote conservative and we get Bracks it done we will be out by the 31st of January I have no doubt about that but then we go into phase 2 and this is about getting Bracks it right for us you know agreeing that European trade deal is absolutely 1st and foremost that we get that agreed set of course a very tight timeline it's a. Line for the government to extend beyond that 1st year so they'll look to the free trade deal in the 1st 12 months and let's hope that that can be achieved let's wander outside. Because I want to talk about the weather and it seems appropriate to do it in a muddy field. The weather being challenging was a bit of a theme of 2020. We seem to have been from drought to floods I think the last year was just really hard to get your head around going up to Lincolnshire and seeing just you know hundreds and hundreds. Of land under completely under water that like the nation we did seem to report on pretty much every sort of weather available last year here on the program a really good example actually is a farmer called Stephen Francis we spoke to him in the summer the day he was supposed to be starting his peak in fact he was paddling in the field. Sure walk on for you can you. Can use this washing of the water because that's what it's for not. True for me those. Who have been under water for over 24 hours but hard it Stephen Francis It had a massive impact on farming the I visit of their fish lake and their gate of the yard was still under water over 2 metres of water terrifying and yet loads of people will point out you know a lot of land in Lincolnshire is that or even slightly below sea level it's only there because of the way it's been drained because we manage the water as the climate changes maybe we have to change to what we definitely do you know and of course you know we haven't seen we invest in maintenance in how we store water you know we've long believed that farmers need to be paid to store water we need to have a complete strategic reset of water policy we're going to look at water management in the u.k. Later in the year of farming today one of the things people are talking about is actually moving Yes storing it to you know for floods and things but actually moving water from from someone who's got a little bit too much to someone who needs a lot more Absolutely I mean this is what we have to be able to do and it's a great strength that we can do it and many other parts of the world can't we want to mention the cattle who came here in the back and before ISIS have been another theme running through 2019 as they've fallen off there are many factors behind this you know certainly the run up to the no deal at the end of March you said a loss of Arash beef being stored and laid down in preparation for that no deal departure and various other factors you know saying $55.00 pence reduction on last year's prices and only one percent reduction in retail price so so where were those monies going you know I think we really have to look as we leave you about how we're trading getting more transparency those voluntary codes that don't work they won't work they have to go to manage because those powers are in the agricultural bill we need to see that happen. Also don't farmers have to wake up to the fact that many people are eating no meat and many more people perhaps are eating less meat particularly because of climate concerns if I want to get angry about something this is what makes me really really angry it's been this sort of polarized debate and the truth behind it is livestock production is a story that has to be told it's not about climate change you know beef here in the u.k. Is absolutely fundamental to managing our carbon sinks you know you look at all the research that's been done that I've she's showing that grassland is the same valley as forestry but I look at the values that my cattle put back into the ground so talking about soil fertility You know imagine a landscape where you didn't have grass and we didn't have livestock putting enough facility back into the soil and you were relying on chemical fertilizer you know that would be hugely detrimental to the climate. The conversation around livestock production has picked up pace in the last year it's a divisive debate which involves not only farming and production methods but also retailer pricing imported foods food standards and consumer demand Well the discussion has resurfaced in recent days after the former chief scientific advisor to Defra professor in Boyd suggested half the nation's farmland should be reclaimed for woodland and natural habitat to help address climate change and restore wildlife he is talking to the b.b.c. Earlier this week it is drastic and drastic for the reason that we do need to be very ambitious about our objectives with respect to meeting the environmental objective of 0 over 2050 under a number of other environmental objectives like restoring biodiversity for example and we're not going to do that if we just take piecemeal measures the other issues . Is that we don't have an opportunity ahead of us to actually make these changes because we've got legislation coming through parliament on agriculture and the environment and that really could provide as a platform to make those sorts of changes over the next 10 years or so I'm not saying that this is asked to happen immediately but I think it has to happen you know over a period of time and of course farmers are at the center of this Professor Boyd added that such a shift could see the number of cattle and sheep fall by 90 percent and suggested farmers would be paid instead for other services such as flood prevention or protecting the landscape This proved a controversial suggestion with a huge response on both sides and it's something we will come back to over the next few weeks but to set it in some context let's revisit another Farming Today interview this time from November 2900 it was part of our beef week when we examine the impacts of rearing and eating cattle simple Rusko spoke to Professor Don Broome from Cambridge University he's been looking at how beef cattle affect climate change the most widespread beef production system the animals are kept either on fertilize pasture or on expensive and fertilize pasture for the early part of their life and then they're kept for a number of months in the latter part of their life concentrated in a small yard and mostly fed on grain that is really a substantial difference in terms of their use of world resources because if they're being fed grain then we could have eaten the grain and so it's it's much more efficient to feed ruminant animals on something that we cannot eat that is grass and the leaves of shrubs and trees which we can't eat now regardless of what system you're using to produce beef cows do still produce a lot of me thinking Is there any solution to that problem methane is a greenhouse guy. Yes which has a substantial global warming effect what happens to me thing though is that after it's produced if it goes into the upper atmosphere it's broken down after 10 to 12 years so it doesn't stay there forever and that's a very relevant thing which is news at the moment because there have been new calculations of what the global warming effect of me think and it's been overstated so bluntly in your professional opinion do you think then farmers are being unfairly blamed for the me thing problem they've been blind really a little bit more than they ought to be so what we have to do for the future is reduce the greenhouse gases and in order to do that we should eat less meat we being the whole world but that doesn't mean we know meat and then there's the question of if we are going to eat meat which meat should we eat farmers will be able to modify their system so that they have more efficient systems and I think we're going to see some substantial changes in what farmland looks like it's already happening in tropical and subtropical countries that people are planting out shrubs and trees with mostly legumes and those systems are proving more efficient than past your only systems Professor Don Broome and that brings us to target very much a part of the last few years in 2019 the National Farmers Union set a target for farming to be net 0 in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 back on her farm in Wiltshire and if you President Monette batas told me the industry is up for the challenge what is exciting about trying to achieve net 0 is that it takes you back to the coal business it takes you back to the soil it takes you back to doing the right thing and we're really confident that she we don't need to downsize production here this is one of the few places in the world where you really should be producing beef and when I look at the climate we have and I look at the grass that we grow making the. Arsons which is what has happened in my big big criticism of the b.b.c. Is that we've taken these global reports the i.p.c.c. The Lancet report the climate change report on these global reports and we've applied the same approach to all countries now there's a huge difference between producing beef here in the u.k. To producing beef in other parts of the world and we continually talk about you know we've got a 2 and a half times smaller footprint here but we're not really talking enough about soil fertility we're not really talking about the importance of grass and in a rotation of livestock in a rotation that's what we need to get back to and many will be saying actually we need to have more be found of these here rather than less the risk of raising your blood pressure still further let's talk about the i.p.c.c. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change the report you're talking about is the one released back in August Here's a clip from a farming today back then with civil rights co-presenting Scientists say a quarter of all global greenhouse gases come from farming and forestry eating more plant based food increased biodiversity more soil protection and developing sustainable farming methods are all highlighted as ways to tackle climate change many of the headline writers went with the eat less meat any more plants line but scientists Professor Mark Howden one of the report's authors says with land under pressure to feed the world's population the guidance for consumers and for farmers is much more complicated different makes have very different greenhouse gas profiles not at all against livestock I'm just interested in informed decision making could you kind of summarize if you can what the message would be to both consumers listening to this thinking about their shopping for the weekend and for our farmers what should they be doing more for consumers it's about understanding the consequence of purchasing decisions and various sick Marc. It's in in the u.k. Of already start to help inform people with information on environmental footprints for particular food types the other part of it is affectively normalising choices which are not the traditional meat heavy choices and so we can have an absolutely lovely food which has a low greenhouse profile and that's healthy for you and I think that's a really strong message and what about the farming practices I do want farmers everywhere to make really good choices which are in their interests as well as in the interests of the broader community and to some extent the planet and that really is about reducing waste on farm it's reducing unnecessarily emissions on farms including from things like tractors as well as direct emissions from the animals Mark how did he is the vice chair of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change what about the farmers. Civil rights gay that. Farming has to change doesn't it farming has to change and farming embraces change you've got an opportunity now to have a bespoke policy for the u.k. And that's why we committed to 0 because you know this is going to stack up for the public purse it's going to be different and this is the national farming Union pledging that farming will be net 0 by 2040 Absolutely I would add this needs a willing government to work in partnership with farmers to achieve that I just want to talk a bit about the feeling we spoke to a lot of farmers who were very angry in the coverage last year of various climate issues from the reports to the extinction rebellion protest in cities around the country and felt that they were being made the scapegoat and that they didn't deserve to be very much so you know 72 percent of Britain is farmland so farmers are the whole of any change that we need to do and I feel in the moment this is been an angry debate where farmers feel threatened they feel vilified they feel like they haven't got a voice in all of this and the message has to be actually do you know what we're for this change yes there are changes that can be made but this constant focus on just take me to out of the dark is wholly wholly wrong and yet when you talk to younger people many of them are eating are the no meat or significantly less farmers fundamentally serve the markets and as the market changes then you have to sure looking at all the independent research that's out there at the moment and talking to the retailers begin is a still sits below 80 percent what is changing is the flexitarian diet I think it's really about you know the value of eating meat you should be having laid some loads of vegetables and other things as well this is an argument I suspect we will be having again and again throughout the year extinction rebellion How has that changed in a way the way farmers see themselves I think. Extinction rebellion has brought climate change to the forefront I was on a panel with one of the founders of extinction rebellion and you know she punched her fist in the air and said This is a breaking golf moment and I don't disagree with her I think it is a breaking glass moment I think we all need to wake up politicians need to wake up that this is the challenge of our time and we need to do something about it and I really think for Boris Johnson as the prime minister there is such an opportunity for him to be on the world stage driving change the house the cop here in 2020 it's such a chance to really showcase what we can do here what the plans are for the u.k. It's about to rain that's used us as an excuse to. Put out my little plea for the New Year which does spend more time in foam kitchens drinking tea and coffee. What do you hope to be talking about all year we're working now with a government with a huge majority so the legislation is going to come through I think quite quickly I guess on the agricultural bill would want to see agriculture on the face of the bill I would like government to commit as soon as possible before the beginning of February to the standards commission that we feel is some portion that's essential to scrutinize the discussions that are going on at the moment and also to the plan for the future of what is on offer we're going to also have an immigration bill so we've had some very challenging conversations around access to accomplishing reliable workforce we've got the lowest unemployment now since $975.00 so we would like to see the seasonal workers scheme scaled up but getting Bracks it right I think now is mission critical for us the agriculture bills are on the environment bill both of which we're expecting fairly soon this year will change things for farmers and they will particularly change things financially because it's the end of the subsidy system there hasn't been that much talk about how big that change will be although it will be brought in probably over a 7 year period it will you know we've talked about the sort of 3 pillars if you like of the new policy So Byron mental delivery productivity really focusing on climate friendly farming farming better on less land with less him put the difficult not to crack and all of this is actually volatility and risk management because that at the end of the Day is why agriculture supported across the world to keep food prices consistent to stock price spikes and we feel for the time being at least that 30 percent of the diaries support we know it should be maintained until we have economic stability although the plan at the moment isn't for that is it the plan at the moment is you will only get paid for the public good that you do. And that excludes food because the market rewards farmers for growing food it is but I think there's always been a recognition that this actually can only be truly defined when the trading relationship is defined so we've always said you know if we have free and frictionless access to our place as trading partner be you the transition to public monies or public goods can be delivered relatively quickly you still have to factor in volatility but of course should we have a trade deal we have friction in that relationship and we look to be undermined by other countries and cheaper or ingredients then you would have to focus on much more management of volatility and allowing farmers to be competitive so it all hinges on standards it all hinges on trade and while we're talking trade we've heard many different perspectives over the past year or more it's best for Britain his timber stall from the right wing free market think tank the Adam Smith Institute talking at the start of 2019 about a potential new deal breaker scenario and the need to focus on the benefits for consumers rather than farmers w.t.f. Terrorists are in maximum but we may charge if we wish to if we don't wish to charge them we can charge a 0 percent nothing and if we were being sensible we would draw nothing me I argued for consumers so let's actually true let's not have tariffs on food from anywhere if farmers can't make money on the situation well farmers can go out of business back in Monette batter's kitchen I asked her whether she was nervous about trade deals particular with countries like the USA where beef is produced differently which often means more cheaply a us trade deal that doesn't factor in our standards which don't forget our legislated on so if you look at stocking density and poultry sheds we have legislation here to say how many the Us doesn't the us still has access to great promoters we banned them here 981 so if. We allow imports of food to come in that are legal for our farmers to use here there is one thing that happens and that is you put farmers out of business I think this is an ongoing discussion Do not underestimate the challenge we know that agriculture is the last chapter in any trade deal to be agreed so it sits at the forefront it is absolutely the heartland of what we are talking about using optimistic there is no choice but to feel optimistic I absolutely believe we have to be really hitting the ground running we have to be bold we have to be ambitious everybody needs to eat and we have one of the most prized markets on the planet so I am optimistic and I'm optimistic about the changes that can be made Minette batter's and that's it from us today we've given you just a snapshot of reactions to the agricultural year just gone but with so much going on in food and farming there is plenty more we want to dig into in 2020 if there are any stories from 2019 you'd like to hear more about or any fresh topics you'd like to hear us tackle this year do let us know you can drop us an email farming talk today at b.b.c. Talk or you can tweet us we're at b.b.c. Farming today I'm Charlotte Smith the producers were bitterest Fenton and Lucy Taylor. Well Radio 4 it's time for a weather update from Phil a very hi chris very good morning to let's keep that optimistic theme going show it for an area of high pressure is trying its best to dominate the scene across the British Isles sends them slightly hedging my remarks well rightly so because it isn't quite doing enough to keep a weather front away from the northern and northwestern parts of Scotland and here are a fair amount of cloud for the greater part of the day with rain all on off to let's come a little bit further south though and take a broad brush if I may across the whole of England and Wales is that sort of time here if you lose the cloud overnight you can end up with a pretty cool start of the day and that's exactly where we are with one or 2 spots particular across the southern and southeastern parts of England having said that those gaps in the cloud are the exception to a pretty cloudy rule and given that the flow is coming at us from the west and southwest there will always be more cloud I think across the western side of England across the greater part of Wales and there will at times be enough in this cloud for there to be the odd bit and piece of rain and we may find sufficient cloud coming through the channel as well for there to be the odd spot of rain rocking up along the channel coasts but mainly it's a dry day one of those are generally days where just rather sits there and your spirits will be lifted if you happen to catch one of those fleeting glimpses of the sun temperatures in a range about $7.00 to $10.00 for Northern Ireland pretty similar fare here although I think the cloud cover rather more complete throughout the day and again the old spot of rain is possible but that will be the exception to the dry Rule 9 or 10 should cover it and finally to Scotland as well I've given the game away here rather Western the northwestern part especially seeing the effects of that weather front will rain throughout the day at times some shelter decent spots are seeing the odd but in peace of sunshine the best of the sunshine the shuttle Nels until later on the softer noon temperatures in range of 6 to 10 Thank you Bill my bushel is one b.b.c. Sports presenter who earns his crust on a Saturday morning slot he's tried well over 500 sports and we. Coach to Saturday live this morning on Radio 4 at 9 o'clock. A treacherous journey across the Atlantic you know. Because this hasn't happened to me. Yet to. A family fleeing persecution or faith God will protect us how is this still possible in $1620.00 Radio 4 marks for centuries since the Mayflower took the pilgrims to America a journey that took $66.00 days exile at 10 part drama on b.b.c. Radio 4 this Monday to Friday morning at 1045. It's 7 o'clock on Saturday the 4th of January Good morning this is today with Nick Robinson and Michelle Hussain the headlines this morning President Trump has insisted that the decision to kill or Rand's most senior military commander was to stop a war and not to start one he claims it saved countless lives now we've ensured that is atrocities have been stopped for good they are stopped for good. I don't know if you know what was happening but he was planning a very major attack and we got out of the United States has criticised its European allies including Britain for not fully supporting the joint strike Iran has stepped up its threats of retaliation saying the Us attack will be met with military action also in today's program as Australians are warned that this will be a dangerous day we examine whether the crisis they're facing will reshape attitudes to climate change and we hear from the families affected by the fires. And the phone call Terry the boyfriend. Turning to the witness stand and I need to sleep pretty resilient fatalistic on this. Plane to. The b.b.c. News read this morning McChrystal Ridge President Trump has sought to justify the drone strike which killed Iran's most senior military commander by saying it prevented an imminent attack and saved American lives he insisted the air strike on a convoy of Baghdad Airport was not intended to start a war saying the United States had acted to prevent one we are a peace loving nation and my administration remains firmly committed to establishing peace and harmony among the nations in the world we do not seek war we do not seek nation building we do not seek regime change but as president I will never hesitate to defend this. Of the American people. The u.s. Secretary of state Mike Pompei Rose said he had been disappointed by a lack of support from European allies is on North America Correspondent David Willis American officials insist the operation that killed Kasim solemn money was carried out in self-defense and prevented what would have been a major attack on u.s. Diplomats and military personnel in the Middle East an attack which the u.s. Secretary of state might Pompei o said could have claimed hundreds of American lives he declined to be drawn on the details however and the u.s. Has yet to release intelligence information to support its claim the assassination of one of America's deadliest enemies has already led to a rainy and threats of revenge and the u.s. Is sending additional troops to the region and urging American citizens in neighboring Iraq to leave senior Democrats have branded the attack reckless and amid escalating tension in the region Britain and some other European allies have also expressed disquiet speaking on Fox News the secretary of state branded that response unhelpful the Brits the French the Germans all need to understand that what we did what the Americans did saved lives in Europe as well custom so the Money Lead and it's r.g.c. Led assassination campaigns in Europe and this was a good thing for the entire world and we are urging everyone in the world to get behind what the United States is trying to do to get this law make Republican run to simply behave like a normal nation either the u.s. Nor Iran is said to favor outright war but the trumpet ministrations claim that killing one of Iran's most powerful officials will prevent further bloodshed may soon be put to the test Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said the assassination of the money was tantamount to an act of war and would be avenged his own Middle East correspondent Quentin some of the United States said it hoped that the killing of customers in the money would deescalate tensions in the Middle East but so far there are no signs of that happening in New York the Iranian ambassador to the.