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Know How / Carbon

Carbon reduction is key to reducing the impact of climate change and meeting the UK's target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Farm businesses will need to implement low-carbon solutions to help reach these targets and qualify for new payment schemes. Find out what other farmers are doing and learn about carbon management.

CARBON

Analysis: Can Welsh tree cover plans work for farmers?

One of the most repeated complaints about the Welsh government’s plans for future rural support is that farmers will be required to plant 10% of their land with trees and…

BEEF

How an intensive beef finisher has cut carbon footprint

A Welsh beef finisher is demonstrating that making structured progress towards net zero is achievable in an intensive farming system. Dylan Jones, who farms on Anglesey in partnership with his…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Scots government attaches new conditions to future support

The Scottish government has released further details on actions farmers and crofters will have to take to receive future farm support payments. The latest update to the Agricultural Reform route…

BUSINESS

What does new natural capital toolkit offer farmers?

Defra and an environmental company have joined forces to produce a new website and online toolkit to help farmers exploit natural capital markets. The Farming Toolkit for Assessing Nature Market…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Expert advice for making trees work on your farm

Large-scale tree planting has come under fire for taking up productive farmland and altering the character of local environments. But the right tree, planted in the right place, can generate…

BARLEY

Malting barley growers to take up fossil-free green fert

About 20 growers in the north of England and Scotland will be growing spring malting barley and wheat for the distilling market using Yara’s fossil-free green fertilisers next spring, under…

BUSINESS

Project shows how farming can hit – or better – net zero

A pioneering carbon project in Northern Ireland has demonstrated that farms can make structured progress towards net zero and revealed that some are already hitting the target. Under NI’s Climate…

BUSINESS

What opportunities does new biomass strategy offer farmers?

The area of land devoted to perennial biomass crops has remained stubbornly low, despite an aspiration to increase the use of home-grown biomass in the power, heat and transport sectors…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Are wetland crops the future on lowland peat?

England’s lowland peat soils are some of the most valuable when it comes to food production, but they also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Draining peatland soils has allowed them…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Transition Farm Walk visits carbon-negative arable unit

Farmers Weekly Transition Farmer Andy Bason provided an insight into his carbon-negative, Hampshire-based arable unit during a recent farm walk.  The Transition Farm Walk saw more than 80 visitors descend…

CARBON

How fenland farmers are cutting greenhouse gases from peat

High levels of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from the drained lowland peat soils in the Fens are threatening to change how they are managed and what they can produce. Finding…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How Wold Top Brewery barley grower lowered carbon footprint

The Yorkshire farming family behind the successful Wold Top Brewery and Yorkshire’s first single-malt whisky distillery is using the latest precision mapping technology in its drive towards a low-carbon, sustainable…

FARM POLICY

Farming needs £4.4bn a year, say green lobby groups

Tougher environmental targets and higher costs to achieve them mean a substantial increase in Treasury funding for farm support is needed, according to a new report from green lobby groups.…

SOILS

How new tech aims to improve soil carbon measurement

Measuring soil organic carbon accurately has always been difficult. But with the rise in interest in carbon trading in agriculture, as well as the other benefits from managing carbon stocks…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Why soil management is so vital to reducing emissions

The decarbonisation of food production will be one of the defining undertakings of our industry this century, as farmers play their part to reach the UK's target of net-zero emissions…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Farming emissions: What they are and why they must be tackled

Farming is responsible for 11% of total UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and as much as 88% of UK ammonia emissions, according to Defra’s latest Agri-climate report. Emissions matter for…

SOILS

Carbon audit highlights priorities for net-zero success

A 10-year sustainability plan put in place just over a year ago at Squerryes Estate in Westerham, Kent, has provided a framework for the business as it navigates its way…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

No scientific rigour in Defra’s ELM scheme, says Batters

Farm leader Minette Batters has criticised Defra’s Environmental Land Management scheme for farmers in England, arguing that it is not supported by science. The NFU president delivered her damning verdict…

NEWS

Insect listening devices installed on pig farms

Pig production and processing company Cranswick has installed hi-tech insect listening devices on its farms to help increase biodiversity.  The units developed by ag-tech company AgriSound have been installed on…