30/4/25 Welsh community food strategy, British-grown pulses, biostimulant for wheat

The Welsh government's launched a new community food strategy which it says will 'strengthen local food systems, improve healthy eating, and create more sustainable communities'. The idea is to enable more local food networks, connecting Welsh farmers and producers with consumers and supporting community-led food projects. It's committed to spending £2 million on the project this financial year, with funding secured until 2028.

This week we're exploring the role pulses are playing in food and farming. Peas, beans and lentils are becoming increasingly popular with consumers as an alternative protein but most of those we eat are imported. We hear from farmers and producers who are growing carlin peas and other pulses in the UK.

Scientists say they've developed a spray, which boosts the equivalent of a plant's blood sugar and could improve wheat yields by 12%. Researchers from Rothamsted, The University of Oxford and the Rosalind Franklin Institute say they can achieve bigger improvements than via breeding and their biostimulant spray will be used around the world.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney