The Environment Baselining Project is a pioneering sustainability project which aims to assess the environmental impact of farms across the UK.
It is a collaborative pilot initiative between red meat levy boards HCC, AHDB and QMS. The work is intended to redefine how farmers are recognised for delivering both food and environmental goods, the scale and potential of natural carbon stocks and sequestration, and the industry’s progress towards net zero.
Main project aims:
- Provide the industry with accurate on-farm environmental data, reducing reliance on national and international averages.
- Demonstrate the critical role GB agriculture plays in reducing greenhouse gases, building carbon stocks, enhancing soil health and supporting biodiversity.
- Enable farmers to take insight-led action towards a more sustainable future.
Eight farms in Wales have been selected to participate in the pilot project, based on factors relating to geographical location, topography, soil type and enterprise systems. They will measure the following:
- Carbon stocks: carbon above ground in the trees and hedges, and below ground in the roots and soil, which will provide an indication of the sequestration potential – the ability to capture, secure and store carbon.
- Net carbon position: a carbon audit will review the balance of a farm business’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions against its carbon removals and sequestration, providing an estimated net carbon position for the farm.
- Water run-off: The project will also deliver a water run-off map from the measurements taken.
These measurements will provide a baseline of the eight farms’ environmental credentials and a starting point for tracking changes over time. Remeasuring is planned for year five of the pilot project, allowing improvements to be measured, reported and recognised.
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