The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 34

34 LIVESTOCK AUG/SEP 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk New Report Recognises Positive Role of Livestock in Climate Change Mitigation The Sustainable Food Trust welcomes a new report, released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which recognises the importance of diverse farming systems, including sustainably managed pasture and livestock, as a key means of mitigating climate change. CONTRARY to some of today’s head- lines that are calling for a shift to exclusively plant-based diets, the con- clusions of the report actually find that balanced diets should include ani- mal-sourced food produced in resilient, sustainable and low-greenhouse gas emission systems, and that these present major opportunities for climate adap- tation and mitigation while generating significant co-benefits in terms of human health. While agriculture is one of the greatest contributors to climate change, this also means it has the greatest mitigation potential. Soil degradation in particular can not only be halted but be reversed through a return to mixed farming systems which include pasture and nitrogen-fixing forage legumes grazed by ruminant animals. We therefore believe that calls for a shift to mainly plant-based diets are mis- guided and can do more harm than good. It is crucial that in transitioning towards more sustainable farming systems we must consider the sustainability of all foods, not only of livestock products. Patrick Holden, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Food Trust, said, “We think many of the headlines about this report are not accurate and we instead need a much more nuanced public discussion about which foods, both livestock and plant-based, are part of the solution and which are part of the problem. It’s all very well for those recommending a switch to eating more plant-based foods, but if those diets include foods like palm oil, genetically modified soy, almond milk or avocados, for example, all of which are from production systems that are causing damage to the environment, they will do nothing to tackle climate change.” As the report highlights, diverse, locally appropriate mixed farming, which counters the damage done by years of continuous arable cropping reliant on chemical inputs, will have a transforma- tive effect on the environment, climate and public health. www.ipcc.ch/report/srccl AHDB INVESTS IN PRACTICAL SUPPORT FOR GROWERS FACING CHEMISTRY LOSS AHDB’s Strategic Potato Farm network is carrying out a variety of trials to ensure growers have effective alternatives for banned chemicals such as diquat and CIPC. THE trials currently being undertaken on the network of five farms – based in Perthshire, West Suffolk, Shropshire, Somerset and North Lincolnshire – are supported by research funded by AHDB, ensuring the results are both robust and commercially viable. Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager Claire Hodge explains: “We are very aware of the chal- lenges that the continual loss of chemistry poses. The industry has lost both diquat for burndown, and CIPC for storage, in quick succession, and this trend is likely to continue. “Our strategic farms are ideally placed to help growers find alternatives as they can trial different practices in a commercial environment and make sure the results are swiftly shared with growers.” In terms of the loss of diquat, which is a real concern for producers across the country, several strategic farms are looking at potential alternatives. There are currently replicated trials on both alternative chemical and mechanical methods which are being run in conjunc- tion with similar work at the James Hutton Institute. These aim to highlight which methods will be most cost-effective for growers in the future. Two strategic farms – West and North – are trying to find to solutions to the loss of CIPC for potato storage. Both sites are trialling different varieties to see which are less prone to sprouting while still being commercially viable, and they are also testing the effectiveness of maleic hydrazide as an alternative chemical treatment. Other on farm research includes trap crops (other crops planted nearby which are more attrac- tive to pests), the use of air sprayers (which use less water and should allow a more precise and effective application of fungicide) and chemical alternatives to the herbi- cide linuron. All the current work is supported by a range of AHDB-funded research activities including our SCEPTREPlus project which aims to identify sustainable plant protection products, Blightwatch and our PhD studentships.