The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2019 - Issue 63 | Page 33

NSA NORTH SHEEP 33
• JUN/JUL 2019
SHEEP FARMING WRONGLY
BLAMED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
NSA welcomes the need for
measures to reduce global
warming and address species
decline, as outlined from the Com-
mittee for Climate Change and
the UN nature report. However,
it is concerned that some of the
recommendations relating to agri-
culture and food are unbalanced,
based on inadequate science, and
understands little about the UK
sheep industry in its criticisms of
red meat production.
NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker
explains: “It is really frustrating to
yet again see our extensive livestock
sectors caught up within criticisms
of agriculture and their impact on
climate change and biodiversity,
and little mention of other damaging
activities, that may be less popular
to criticise. It is seemingly OK to
offset emissions from flying around
the world through carbon seques-
tering actions such as tree planting
and peatland management, but not
OK for a farm to do its own internal
offsetting.
“Yet again livestock farming
appears to be an easy target that
is fashionable to attack while the
reality is that farming methods in
the UK contribute positively and
could do even more with the right
incentives. In particular, the role of
grazed grassland, rotational and
permanent leys, in building soil
organic matter, soil biology, and
storing carbon is ignored. Many of
the climate change assumptions
regarding ruminant livestock farm-
P V Dobson | 01756 701166
ing are based on global systems of
production that are very different
to our mainstream methods here in
the UK. UK sheep and beef systems
are predominantly grass based and
grazed, and operate in harmony
with wildlife, rather than a feedlot
style production that is based on
crop production, feed processing
and transport.”
NSA is also keen to see more
distinction between different green-
house gasses.
Over recent years, NSA has pro-
duced a series of reports demon-
strating ways the sheep sector can
do more to further enhance its
environmental credentials whilst
also improving enterprise produc-
tivity, which are available online or
from NSA head office.
www.nationalsheep.org.uk/policywork
Shearwell Data | 01643 841611