A recently published Nuffield Farming report explores how regenerative farming could help the UK meet it’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) targets.
The report, titled ‘Do regenerative farming practices pave the way for UK agriculture to meet net zero?’ was compiled by Welsh agronomist, Chris Taylor and sponsored by McDonald’s.
The full report can be found on Nuffield Farming’s website and the findings were also presented by Taylor at the 2023 Nuffield Farming Conference in Exeter, the recording of which is now available on the Nuffield Farming YouTube channel.
Nuffield Scholarships
The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust is a charity organisation providing talented individuals the sponsored chance to expand the body of research in food, farming, horticulture and rural sectors.
They are currently offering two opportunities that are rewarded funding annually; Nuffield Farming Scholarship, which is open to applicants aged between 25 and 45 and the newly commissioned ‘Next-Gen Scholarship’, which targets 18 to 24 year-olds.
Taylor travelled to Canada; United States; Brazil; France; UK; Denmark and Norway to conduct research, which primarily focused on discovering ways to achieve net zero without compromising farm profitability and productivity.
It also sought to ensure agriculture remains resilient in an ever-changing climate and to improve organic matter (carbon) levels in soils
In his report, Taylor said: “UK agriculture is at the forefront of one of the biggest global challenges in meeting net zero by 2050. Agriculture is, however, well placed as an industry to offset emissions through sequestering carbon in soils in the form of organic matter.
“With climate change impacts being felt in the form of extreme weather patterns, the other aspect to consider is ensuring UK farms are resilient, both financially and environmentally.”
The research identified the main contributing factors of GHG emissions in UK agriculture while finding potential solutions to reduce their implications.
Taylor also assessed the impact of regenerative practices in areas where they have been practiced for long periods of time and explored regions with similar soil types, climates and cropping conditions to the UK to examine the efficiency and viability of their practices.
“Meeting net zero won’t be achieved via a single solution or idea but through incremental gains and an industry-wide effort. For farmers, it’s important to understand the carbon balance in their individual businesses, to give clarity and direction for changes to be implemented.
“When fully integrated into a system-based approach, regenerative agriculture offers methods of mitigating these emissions on a path to net zero.
“When setting net zero as a target for a business, we should not lose sight of other considerations, including environmental, economic and social benefits,” Taylor said.
The 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference will be held in Belfast on November 19 to 21 and anyone interested is welcome to attend.
