05/02/20 Sewage fertiliser, US environmental protection, peat alternatives

Farming Today

• Episode: 05/02/20 Sewage fertiliser, US environmental protection, peat alternatives
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:40
• Published: 2020-02-05 07:00

Sewage sludge is a valuable fertiliser. More than three and a half million tonnes of it is spread on arable land in the UK every year. But a report commissioned by the Environment Agency raises serious concerns about the long-term safety and regulation of the practice. The Trump administration is scrapping legislation protecting America's streams and wetlands, in a move that is angering environmentalists. A team from the University of East London is working to create a sustainable alternative to peat, by re-wetting soils and growing sphagnum moss in fields, on a commercial scale. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.