Stacy Griffiths from our Carbon Auditing team looks at some simple steps farmers can take to reduce their carbon footprint.
Undertaking a carbon audit is new territory for a lot of farmers, but it’s going to become increasingly necessary as a prerequisite for selling into quality markets. All of Tesco’s nearly 500 UK fruit and veg growers, for example, are now LEAF Marque-certified, and the supermarket recently committed to ensure its entire global fresh produce supply chain be certified by 2025. It is only a matter of time before other retailers and businesses follow suit, too.
A lot of farmers assume they’ll be carbon-neutral, so are surprised by the results of their first carbon audit. But the reality is that farmers are going to produce emissions and they will probably be higher than expected. So, the focus should be on monitoring your carbon footprint and making small changes which, cumulatively, can make a big difference.
For many arable farmers, the highest emissions are likely to result from fuel use, followed by inputs such as sprays and fertiliser. While it’s impractical or impossible to avoid using such items, there are some relatively straightforward steps you can take to improve your farm’s overall carbon performance. Could you introduce or use more renewable energy? Battery storage can also have a role, providing power for when the grain drier is running, or the potato store is operational. If you’re buying-in energy, purchasing from renewable sources or on renewable tariffs can also reduce your emissions.
If you keep livestock, it is worth reviewing your herd health plan and fallen stock levels because, if mortality rates are high, you will be using more inputs for less outputs. Speaking to your vet about ways to identify and resolve common illnesses more quickly can be beneficial here. Feed is also a big contributor to your footprint, especially in cattle and poultry enterprises, so it is worth exploring where it comes from, what its digestibility is, and what level of proteins it contains.
There are also opportunities to improve your carbon sequestration (storing carbon) in tandem with reducing emissions. Look at which aspects of environmental schemes such as the Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive could work on your farm. These could also bring much-needed revenue.
It might also be possible to plant or regenerate hedgerows and, although there are concerns about replacing productive agricultural land with trees, agroforestry can be good for the environment and improve yields.
A lot of it does come back to soil – and if you’re looking after your soil, it will be looking after you. It is important to be proactive, so it is worth starting soil testing if you’re not already doing so, then the results can be used to inform decision-making.
Testing soil organic matter is not a legal requirement, but this is critical when it comes to sequestration, as once you have more than one year of data you can begin to see a trend. It is important to use the same carbon calculator year on year because they all work differently, and you need to be able to compare like-with-like. It is also important to make comparisons across the same time periods.
With some estimates suggesting the agricultural sector is responsible for producing about 10% of all greenhouse gases (GHG) in the UK, the NFU has set the goal of reaching net zero across the whole of agriculture in England and Wales by 2040. Meanwhile, the UK government has committed to a legally binding target to bring all GHG emissions to net zero by 2050.
Whether it’s from market pressures or government legislation, the pressure applied to farmers to take control of their carbon footprint is only going to increase.
CXCS offer two carbon auditing packages – one is a calculation providing data on your current position and the other includes benchmark data and tailored advice on how to lower your carbon footprint.
For further help and advice, please contact our Carbon Auditing department on 01981 590514.
