23/08/22 - Carbon neutral meat processing, labour costs, river pollution

A meat processing plant is claiming to be carbon neutral, using animal fats from the abattoir process to power the plant. ABP has invested millions of pounds in the vast new site at Ellesmere in the Midlands, using state of the art equipment to make the process as easy as possible for the animals themselves, and providing data and insight for the farmers that supply them.
A new report by a group of charities says chemicals are the hidden killer in our rivers. WildFish (formerly Salmon and Trout Conservation) worked with the RSPB, BugLife and the Pesticide Collaboration, testing invertebrates from 12 rivers to assess river health. They found the number of species had declined, and are calling on the government to better regulate and police water quality rules. Defra says it is committed to river health, including through the new Environment Act.
As part of our week looking at the rising cost of food, today we meet a farmer who says a 'perfect storm' of Brexit, war in Ukraine and the effects of Covid, have led to a drastic shortage of labour to work on farms and in food processing, pushing prices up for farmers and consumers.
Presented by Charlotte Smith.