Welsh agronomist Chris Taylor NSch 2022 has published his Nuffield Farming report entitled 'Do regenerative farming practices pave the way for UK agriculture to meet net zero?', sponsored by McDonald's UK & Ireland.

The full report is now available on the Nuffield Farming report library and his report video is available on the Nuffield Farming YouTube channel. Chris presented the findings of his research at the 2023 Nuffield Farming Conference in Exeter and a recording of his presentation is also available on the Nuffield Farming YouTube channel.

During his Scholarship, Chris travelled to Canada, United States, Brazil, France, UK, Denmark, and Norway. His primary objective was to understand how to meet net zero whilst maintaining productivity and profitability on farms, while ensuring agriculture is resilient and improving organic matter (carbon) levels in soils.

In his report, he says, "UK agriculture is at the forefront of one of the biggest global challenges in meeting net zero by 2050. Agriculture is, however, well placed as an industry to offset emissions through sequestering carbon in soils in the form of organic matter. With climate change impacts being felt in the form of extreme weather patterns, the other aspect to consider is ensuring UK farms are resilient, both financially and environmentally."

Chris aimed to identify the main contributing factors of greenhouse gas emissions in UK agriculture and find solutions to mitigate their impact. He evaluated the impact of regenerative practices in areas where they have been practiced for prolonged periods. Chris also explored areas with similar soil types, cropping and climate conditions to the UK to understand what practices could be implemented effectively.

"Meeting net zero won't be achieved via a single solution or idea but through incremental gains and an industry-wide effort. For farmers, it's important to understand the carbon balance in their individual businesses, to give clarity and direction for changes to be implemented.

"When fully integrated into a system-based approach, regenerative agriculture offers methods of mitigating these emissions on a path to net zero. When setting net zero as a target for a business, we should not lose sight of other considerations, including environmental, economic and social benefits."

Study objectives

• Objective 1: Meeting net zero whilst maintaining productivity and profitability on farms.
• Objective 2:  Ensuring agriculture is resilient to an ever-changing climate, full of extreme weather events.
• Objective 3: Improving organic matter (carbon) levels in our agricultural soils.

 Messages

1. The best time to sample fields for organic matter was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now!
2. Carry out a whole farm, carbon audit to identify areas to target for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and understand your current sequestration potential.
3. A transition to regenerative farming should be planned thoroughly with a phased approach that you and your business are comfortable with.
4. Seek guidance and advice from practitioners of regenerative farming to help implement practices that will help your business move forward in a more sustainable manner.
5. In selling carbon credits off the farm, ensure you're not undermining your potential to hit net zero in your own right in the future.