Guest blog by Joe Llanos, Senior Policy Officer
The effects of climate change have been clear to see this year, with the UK experiencing it’s second wettest winter since records began. Farmers up and down the country had to grapple with waterlogged fields and washed-out crops, with estimates predicting that arable farmer revenues could be down by almost £1 billion because of the extreme weather this year. When you add climate change to the many other pressures that farmers are already facing, it’s not surprising that farmer confidence is at an all-time low.
Because of the increasing threat of climate change many farmers are now taking a fresh look at their farming practices, and growing numbers are adopting more nature-friendly farming methods to reduce costs and boost resilience in their farm businesses.
Image: erosion caused by flooding (c) RSPB
This increasing appetite for nature-friendly farming to boost climate-resilience is very timely. In November this year, UK delegates will be heading to Azerbaijan for the United Nations annual climate change conference, COP29. The main aims of the conference are to ‘enhance ambition’ and ‘enable action’, and the Presidency has described advancing sustainable and resilient food systems as an important goal for COP29.
Ahead of world leaders gathering on the international stage, we have spoken to farmers on the ground who are leading the way with nature-friendly and climate-resilient farming.
Nature-friendly farming can boost resilience to climate change
On his pasture-fed dairy farm in Surrey, Matthew Elphick has been busy adjusting his operations to help the farm weather what the climate crisis is going to throw at it. Matthew is a ‘Farming Champion’ in the Nature-Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), a group which recognises that producing food and helping nature thrive are deeply intertwined. Making their land resilient to climate change is a key part of this, and for Matthew this has meant making use of a whole suite of nature-friendly farming techniques on his farm.
“We’re creating a grazing system that prioritises improving soil health, we’re using native-breed animals which can survive solely on grass or forage so don’t need concentrated feed, we’re eliminating the use of wormers and fly repellents and we’re not using synthetic fertiliser on the grass,” he said. “It’s about holistic management which uses and enhances the natural ecology and environment of the farm.”
Increasingly, the evidence base is showing that the positive changes nature-friendly farmers like Matthew are making are both effective and worthwhile. Recent studies have highlighted the benefits that deploying ‘Nature-based Solutions’ on farms, including planting trees and hedgerows, establishing buffer strips, and adopting natural flood management techniques, can bring. From slowing the flow of water to providing shade for livestock and preventing soil loss, these nature-friendly farming solutions are helping farmers to become more resilient to climate change and, at the same time, reducing their costs.
Image: Hedgerows and trees perform important functions on farmland from providing shelter for livestock to storing carbon (c) RSPB
For example, one recent report suggests extreme weather is estimated to reduce the net profit of Scottish beef farms by 12%, but this negative impact can be almost entirely removed by shifting to more regenerative and nature-friendly practices. Other studies have found that planting trees on sheep farms can reduce lamb losses by up to 30%, and that the soils of an average UK farm could store an additional 67 megalitres of water if managed more regeneratively – which could provide vital flood protection in future storm events. Importantly, data from over 160 UK farms of all types also shows that shifting to more nature-friendly and climate resilient approaches can reduce costs and make farm businesses more profitable, with an average increase in commercial returns of between 10-45%.
“Scorchingly dry springs followed by wet waterlogged winters”
Another NFFN Farming Champion adopting nature-friendly farming to increase their climate resilience is Ruth Ashton-Shaw, who farms in Dumfries and Galloway. Ruth was motivated to take action to deal with what she describes as “scorchingly dry springs followed by wet waterlogged winters”.
“The first thing to manage was water flow,” she said. “Instead of draining our fields as fast as possible, we looked at holding water on the land by building ponds and wetlands area. We planted hedgerows and woodland belts to guide water into these areas. This gives water somewhere to go during extreme rainfall events and means we have continued access to it in drier periods.”
Although this has meant some significant changes on her farm, for Ruth the benefits of farming in a nature and climate-friendly way have been clear. “We have had to sacrifice some grazing areas, but in the long run we’ve gained much more than we’ve lost. The ground is more manageable in the toughest conditions, with longer seasons for animals to stay outside and more resilient forage. There’s also a huge benefit for nature in these waterlogged areas, which attract a real diversity of plants, birds and insects.”
“Good farmland management and nature recovery really do go hand in hand,” Ruth concludes.
Image: The impact of prolonged dry weather resulting in cracks on the soil surface (c) RSPB
“A big impact on your little bit of planet”
At the RSPB’s Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire, Farm Manager Georgie Bray and team have taken the 181-hectare arable farm on a similar nature-friendly journey. Like many other farms this year, the extremely wet winter posed a significant challenge for Hope Farm.
“We’re on heavy clay soils which is a double-edged sword on arable. They are amazing at retaining moisture which can save us in a hot summer, but they can sit so wet in winter and we may struggle to get on to do fundamental farming operations in a given season.” Georgie explained. “We are very susceptible to compaction and can get in a real muddle in winters like the one just gone.”
Like Matthew and Ruth, for Georgie the journey to boost climate resilience through nature-friendly farming has required her to make changes across the system and keep one eye on the future.
“We’re working our way around the farm to ensure ditches are running well,” she said. “We’re growing cover crops, reducing cultivations, and being tactical where we are using any deep cultivations to promote soil resilience and split our cropping between winter and spring sown crops to spread risk. We also have herbal leys, legume and flower-rich habitats which create that diverse, semi-permanent vegetation with lots of roots to help soils recover where they need that extra boost.”
Image: Cover crop and compost field trial at Hope Farm (c) RSPB
The range of actions that Georgie and the Hope Farm team are employing have already been incredibly beneficial for wildlife, with a huge increase in the number of birds and butterflies recorded since 2001. And Georgie hopes that these changes are also future-proofing Hope Farm as well.
“Although it’s really difficult to keep that long term view of things, where we’ve managed to improve the soil we are more resilient to whatever the weather throws at us. Because of that, we’re trying our best to continue to improve across the farm, every year.”
Despite facing challenges at times, Georgie can’t imagine farming in any other way. “I feel very privileged that I can work to do something where you can have such a big impact on your little bit of planet,” she says.
When the news cycle shifts to COP29 in November and world leaders gather to discuss climate change on the international stage, it will be important to keep in mind the many nature-friendly farmers like Georgie, Ruth, and Matthew. People who are doing vital work, out of the spotlight, to boost our resilience to climate change.