New pilot to establish GHG baselines is a ‘positive step’, says NFU

Environment and climate
Cows in a field

Photograph: Farlap / Alamy Stock Photo

AHDB, with support from Quality Meat Scotland, is investing £2.5 million into its new pilot project aimed at establishing a baseline for farming’s impact on the environment.

The pilot will focus on  measurements to reveal the balance of emissions and carbon removals/stocks of farm businesses, including additional carbon sequestration potential, as well as providing a dataset to show the range and variety of results from individual farms.

Up to 170 farms across Great Britain will be individually baselined, with AHDB and Quality Meat Scotland currently recruiting farms to join the project.

Data on greenhouse gas emissions, landscape and soil carbon stock, water run-off and soil analysis of individual farms will be used to ‘demonstrate the real environmental benefits of British agricultural products, both domestically and overseas’ AHDB has said.

Positive step forward

Responding to the news, NFU President Tom Bradshaw branded the project as a “positive development”.

“Getting a better picture for the balance of GHG emissions and carbon removals across some of our agricultural systems is a positive step forward in the drive to reduce the impact of farming on climate warming.

“Feeding individual farm data back to the business is absolutely essential,” he added.

The NFU continues to lobby Defra to deliver on its commitment to support farmers with GHG auditing by 2024.

Getting a better picture for the balance of GHG emissions and carbon removals across some of our agricultural systems is a positive step forward in the drive to reduce the impact of farming on climate warming.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw

AHDB Chief Executive Graham Wilkinson said the industry-first pilot would “help change the story of British agriculture, which has been dominated by gross greenhouse gas emissions”.

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