Looking back at the biggest agriculture news of 2022

A lot happened in 2022, with the cost of living, the cost to growing food, and the war in Ukraine affecting imports. We are going to take a look back at the biggest, most relevant horticulture and agriculture news from last year.  

The war in Ukraine 

Probably one of the biggest news of 2022, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has displaced millions of people, killed thousands, and also affected global markets. The events unfolding on the continent are troubling, and since February, Ukraine has been at war with Russia. This has had several impacts on the World as a whole, but regarding agriculture news, two key areas affected the UK food production industry. 

The cost of living has increased for everyone in the UK, and businesses have closed due to unaffordable running costs. This has put a huge strain on crop growers, especially ones that grow in tunnels and purpose-built buildings. The war also brought an unexpected boon to wheat and cereal growers. 

Ukraine has been referred to as the world’s breadbasket, as it is where most of the world’s wheat is grown. Due to the war, the cost of wheat has gone up dramatically, and UK farmers have seen unimagined profits. Where this is a short-term bonus for wheat farmers, there are predications this is highly unsustainable.  

Greenwashing and sustainability 

Greenwashing is the practice of making a product or company appear environmentally friendly or sustainable, through marketing and branding efforts, without actually making significant changes to the company’s environmental impact or sustainability.

The disparity between what the industry thought leaders are saying, and what the growers on the ground are saying, has brought greenwashing to the forefront. Sustainable growing is not just a nice to have, it is now imperative for the future. 

How is greenwashing agriculture news?

In agriculture news, many stories were focusing on how to make farming more sustainable, which brought out the discussion of green washing. Greenwashing can be harmful because it can lead consumers to believe they are making environmentally responsible choices when they are not, and it can also distract from the real efforts that companies need to make to become more sustainable. 

Workforce Automation  

After the Ukraine War, one of the biggest agriculture news stories was the crisis with migrant labour. The labour shortage, due to a number of factors, has opened up the conversation for more automated solutions. Farm management software, linked with IoT, Internet of Things, devices, is reducing the number of labourers needed. 

Some farms are adopting everything from packing machines, driverless tractors, and using drones for crop walks. There are still jobs that robots will not be able to replace, and these are where most challenges arise. Bringing in migrant labour requires documentation, visas, and sponsorships. Which is why we have a specialist on retainer to help our clients.