UK farming needs “deep and radical changes”, to combat climate change according to the Soil Association’s head of policy, following the release of a landmark climate change report.
The UK’s Committee on Climate Change today urged policy makers to cut Britain’s greenhouse gases to zero by 2050, in order to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.
In the wake of several mass protests by climate action group Extinction Rebellion, the committee urged Britain to take the lead in cutting emissions, citing farming as a key area of carbon reduction.
Gareth Morgan, head of policy at Soil Association said: “It’s clear that deep and radical changes are needed to the way we farm and manage the land – farmers should be seen as part of the solution and must be supported to make the transition to climate-friendly farming systems.
“Ample scientific evidence shows that a transition to green farming systems, like organic, agroforestry and silvopasture, would dramatically reduce agricultural emissions, while also supporting biodiversity, soil health and animal welfare.
'These changes, like improving soil health to lock in carbon, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel based fertilisers and adding more trees into the farmed landscape, can and must be implemented more widely.'
The CCC report described the strategy as “ambitious” but the foundations were in place to reduce emissions on key pillars of a net-zero economy. Many include agro-ecological measures such as sending biodegradable waste to landfill and increasing tree planting.
Morgan added: “The CCC report also highlights that we must change what we eat, along with how produce it. Any reductions in agricultural emissions are only possible with changes to our diets and Government needs to support this change.”
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