Opinion: Time for farming to reset the language on ‘net zero’

The year 2019 seems an age ago, but it was a time with an intense focus on the debate around climate change and net-zero carbon emissions, which became a priority for government ministers.

I was at the NFU conference that year when then NFU president Minnette Batters announced that farmers in England would achieve net zero by 2040.

See also: How to navigate the shifting sands of rural land use

At the same event, the secretary of state for Defra at the time, Michael Gove, announced his ambitions for a new “revolutionary” policy and support mechanisms to aid that ambition.

Of course, what was not understood was how, or indeed if, the industry could meet those targets and what the implications might be for farmers.

Farming wasn’t alone in dealing with this focus on net zero. From the proposed ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, to increasing pressures from investors around ESG requirements, as well as more extensive sustainability targets and reporting for larger businesses, there was a general feeling it was the “right thing to do” to mitigate climate change.

Changing world

In the seven years since, the world has changed significantly. Covid created a new focus on food production and avoiding empty shelves, and the critical importance of food security was further highlighted by the war in Ukraine.

More recently we have seen a refocusing of priorities in the US with the return of Donald Trump and the introduction of tariffs.

None of these factors have altered the very real climate challenge, but the emphasis has shifted.

There is a realisation that farmers are there to produce food at a quality consumers expect and at a price that people can afford.

That priority change from Gove’s revolution to more realistic evolution is further highlighted in Defra’s Farming Roadmap 2050.

The majority of farmers have kept their heads down and got on with the job of producing high-quality, nutritious food at incredible value for money, working with small margins while simultaneously supporting nature and the environment on their land.

Technology, the availability of data and the need to be productive and efficient have supported the reduction of carbon on farms, with a 15% drop in emissions since 1990.

That trend is likely to accelerate as farmers make greater use of increasingly sophisticated tools and insight.

Alter the language

Given the change in focus, it would be sensible to alter the language we are using in the sector. We still need to drive the net-zero agenda, but we need to do it without it seeming so impossible for farmers to achieve.

The agenda should be about farming smarter using data and technology to help farmers better understand how changes in on-farm practices can reduce emissions.

Carbon generally carries a cost, so being efficient and productive alongside a focus on environmental improvement will naturally reduce carbon on farms and support the wider agenda on lowering emissions and providing offsets for what is produced.

The farming sector should be talking about transitioning to a low-carbon future that farmers can get behind and the public will appreciate.

How fast the sector can progress will be determined by many factors that are often outside farmers’ control.

But by talking about a low-carbon farming future as part of the country’s pathway to an overall net-zero agenda, we can clear up some of the confusion in the sector and support a realistic plan that all farmers can better understand and get behind.