Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) is recruiting farmers to participate in a new project that looks to make the best use of grassland whilst also making substantial business savings.
The potential industry savings of £1.6 billion will stem from efficient and nature friendly grassland management practices. This will also help farm businesses adapt to the challenges of climate change, and in doing so, will help the industry work towards net zero targets.
The project – called the Land Use for Net Zero Nature and People (LUNZ) Programme – requires the involvement of Welsh farmers who have been farming in ways which work with nature to produce food. These are typically approaches that minimise inorganic inputs and encourage diversity across the farm and within fields. Practices include the use of legumes, reduction in the use of fertilisers and herbicides, rotational/mob grazing, biodiversity and habitat creation. Alongside the recruited network of commercial farms across Wales, and the UK, is scientific research at several universities exploring new methods and their impacts.
As part of an holistic approach to assessing farm business sustainability, farmers will complete an on-farm assessment tool called the Global Farm Metric (GFM) with the assistance of a researcher. The results will be shared with the farmer and used to guide on- farm changes. Farmers will also benefit from biodiversity audits, and sample a selection of fields for soil, vegetation and carbon analysis.
Dr Heather McCalman, HCC’s Research and Development and Sustainability Executive is co-ordinating the Welsh beef and sheep farm elements of the project. She said:
"We would encourage farmers from across Wales to get involved in the LUNZ grasslands programme. Not only does it aim to evidence the wider environmental and social benefits of grassland- based beef and sheep systems in Wales, but it will benefit individual businesses and provide evidence of how grassland management practices can help to maintain farm profitability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve biodiversity and soil health. It is also a great opportunity to have an up-to-date carbon footprint and GFM free of charge As part of a cluster of around 10 farms, you will be invited to a workshop to discuss the results and share ideas on techniques to improve farm resilience and your farm business.”
Interested farmers should contact Dr Heather McCalman on hmccalman@hybucig.cymru / 07740592377 before 31 December to discuss in more detail.
She added:
“Many farmers face unclear guidance on how to lower emissions, slowing the industry’s progress. But by harnessing research and collecting data from case study farms in Wales - along with others across the UK – this project will identify practical and affordable grassland efficiency strategies to cut emissions and increase carbon sequestration, whilst also maintaining productivity.”
LUNZ Grassland is one of five research programmes funded to address the challenge of net zero UK emissions by 2050. The project is co-funded by UKRI, Defra (on behalf of England and Wales), DESNZ, and has been co-designed with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Welsh Government and Scottish Government.
