Sustainable Farming

Farming must not be seen as the ’scapegoat’ for methane emissions, farming chiefs have warned.

As world leaders gathered in Glasgow this week for the COP26 climate summit, the irony of their collective carbon footprint was lost on no one.

It is easy for livestock farmers to become depressed about the apparent ascendancy of the vegan lobby but according to one expert there is a positive story to tell about meat.

Farm groups have urged Ministers not to put UK producers at a competitive disadvantage, after trade partner Australia refused to sign up to a global pledge to cut methane emissions by 30 per cent over the next nine years.

Farming union leaders have been attending the COP26 event in Glasgow

Pig industry figures welcomed news from a BBC reporter that labels on food served at the event in Glasgow showed a bacon roll had a lower carbon count than a plant-based croissant

Farming with nature can maximise returns, offer viability in changing markets, increase profitability through reduced inputs and ensure a more adaptable landscape.

Farmers moving to non-inversion tillage and direct drilling need to ensure their soil structure is good to avoid releasing nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

With greener fertilisers and other new technologies on the horizon, there is hope for farmers aiming for net zero.

With the red meat industry under the microscope on sustainability, Alex Black spoke to Dawn Meats’ Sarah Haire about their environmental commitments and why it was so important