20/10/20 - WTO trade rules, feathers for insulation, migrating wild birds and record breaking sheepdogs

Farmers are concerned a future trade deal with the USA would allow food produced to lower environmental and animal welfare standards into the UK, which would out compete British produce. Some think the World Trade Organisation wouldn’t allow the UK to prevent food coming in from the USA for example, based solely on how it was produced. But Anna Hill hears from the Deputy Director of the UK Trade Policy Observatory, Emily Lydgate, who disagrees.

Could the feathers left over from chicken meat production be used in insulating packaging? We find out about a company trying to do just that.

And it seems Covid might be playing a part in new record sale prices for sheepdogs: at Skipton online sales, one’s been sold for £20,000. Auctioneers tell us with everything done virtually, the international bidders feel more confident and are pushing up prices. Several records have been broken since February and several dogs have been sold abroad.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons