Agri-environment measures boost wildlife populations

These are the really positive results from the longest-running monitoring study of its kind, carried out by UKCEH, one of the UK’s leading environmental research institutes, on the Hillesden Estate in Buckinghamshire.

Although one to five per cent of land was taken out of production and replaced with habitats, the overall tonnage of crops produced was maintained and even enhanced for some crops.

Key to success is that the agri-environment scheme design is informed by expert environmental and agronomic advice and it is then managed properly. Members of our farm management team have conservation management qualifications so please call me for further information.

Meanwhile, Red Tractor is launching a six-month pilot for its new eco-labelling scheme, aiming to measure Scope 3 emissions on farms, taking in consideration biodiversity, water use and soil health.

The intention is to provide a new industry baseline which retailers can use instead of developing their own label, as has been done by Lidl and Tesco.

The need to further understand and communicate the environmental impact of food products was at the centre of a separate project by Oxford researchers.

They assessed food products based on four criteria: greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water stress and eutrophication potential. They found that the most nutritious foods were, in most cases, the best for the environment.

For example, highly processed meat products such as sausages have a higher environment impact than fruit.

Although stemming from good intentions, the new Red Tractor label could be just another one among many, bringing more confusion and incurring additional expenses to farmers without benefits to them.

Dan Matthews, senior associate director – farming department at Strutt & Parker