The creation and consumption of carbon is an inevitability of farming practices. However it is important when talking about "carbon in farming" to understand firstly what we mean. 


Carbon has become the catchphrase too often used to cover the production of greenhouse gases across the agricultural sector. While undoubtedly carbon dioxide (CO2) is commonly associated as the major driver of climate change, the impact of the two other major greenhouse gases in agriculture of methane and nitrous oxide cannot be ignored.


Different greenhouse gases can have different effects on the Earth's warming. Two ways in which these gases differ from each other are their ability to absorb energy ("radiative efficiency"), and how long they stay in the atmosphere ("lifetime").

The Global Warming Potential (GWP) index was developed to allow comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases. Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 tonne of a gas will absorb over a given period (normally 100 years), relative to the emissions of 1 tonne of CO2.

  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2): by definition, has a GWP of 1, regardless of the time period used;


  • Methane (CH4): is estimated to have a GWP of 28 times more impact than CO2 over 100 years;

  • 
Nitrous Oxide (N2O): has a GWP of 265 times that of CO2 over 100 years.

Despite the bad press that surrounds agriculture for its production of greenhouse gases, agriculture possesses a unique role as an industry, as it can sequester carbon dioxide and mitigate the effects of climate change.


In the UK, agriculture accounts for approximately 10% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions which means it can be considered a significant contributor, however this compares favourably to the global average where agriculture contributes closer to 20% of emissions. 


Farmers know their land best and many farmers across the UK are already performing good work in reducing their carbon footprint. However, in the future we need to support the industry to make even greater environmental gains through reducing emissions.


Whilst agriculture does contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural practices can make significant contributions to sequestering, or "capturing", carbon.

Through measures such as planting or otherwise establishing trees (afforestation), agroforestry or agroecology, teamed with sustainable land management practices such as enhancing soil carbon stocks and planting hedgerows, UK agriculture can significantly increase the amount of carbon it sequesters. Overall, this has the effect of reducing the impact of farming on greenhouse gas emissions. 


Supporting environmentally friendly or low carbon agricultural activities such as energy generation through renewable sources of wind, solar, or bioenergy provides the sector opportunities to shift away from its historic dependencies on the fossil fuel industry. 


These changes will enable British farms to diversify their farm income whilst improving the long-term self-sufficiency of the farm.


Small changes in farm management practice can also have sizeable impacts upon a farm's carbon footprint. By increasing efficiencies on farms through intelligent use of machinery, changes in fertiliser practice, or feeding regimes, farms can see a noticeable impact of a reduced carbon footprint. 


This is important for the business' bottom line profitability as an improved carbon footprint goes hand-in-hand with improved financial returns from greater efficiencies.


Support for the UK's Net Zero target by 2050 has come from partners across the agricultural economy. The National Farmers Union (NFU) has set out its own ambitions which, while aligned with the UK's Net Zero objectives, aims for the industry to adopt an even more ambitious timeframe to reach Net Zero by 2040.


This is a target that should not be feared by farmers, but one that should be viewed as a business opportunity, and proactive farmers who embrace the changes will be set to gain the most.


The first step for farmers to understand their carbon emissions is through undertaking a carbon audit. This should be considered in the same way as you would look at a set of accounts, but instead of pounds and pence, figures are quantified by kg of CO2 equivalent.


In future months, pressure to have a carbon audit undertaken will arise from the Government (Defra), the Banks, and/or the supply chain. Whether that is to apply for a productivity grant or to reduce transaction fees on a new loan, this interest around the "Net Zero" agenda will not reduce.


Currently there is free consultancy support available for farmers to get a carbon audit through the AHDB Farm Business Review scheme which enables farmers to receive a free business review and a carbon audit.

Or, if you are a farm located within a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty you could claim free consultancy support for a carbon audit and management plan via the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.


For more details visit www.carbonmetrics.uk

Click here to read other Spring Farming Newsletter articles.