A new 'confidence survey' from the NFU has found British farmers are increasing investments in soil health, tree planting, renewable energy generation, and energy efficiency
A growing number of UK farmers are planning sustainability investments that will help align their practices with the net zero transition and contribute to nationwide efforts to drive down greenhouse gas emissions, new research from the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has revealed.
The latest NFU Confidence Survey shows that more farmers than ever are planning to invest in energy efficiency and adopt other net zero measures on their farms, despite high levels of uncertainty and low confidence about the farming industry's future more broadly.
The survey provides a detailed overview of farmers' plans to contribute to efforts to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. It finds that 30 per cent of farmers are planning to invest in energy efficiency measures, up six percentage points from 24 per cent last year.
It also reveals that 69 per cent plan to improve soil health or carbon content; 51 per cent plan to plant trees; 38 per cent plan to enlarge or extend hedgerows; 35 per cent plan to invest in more renewable energy generation, with 37 per cent already producing or using renewable energy; and 35 per cent plan to invest in low carbon agri-technology, such as precision farming or livestock monitoring.
"It's fantastic to see so many farmers making plans to implement net zero measures on their farms, whether it's investing in energy efficiency or carbon storage, especially at a time when business confidence among farmers is so low," said NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts.
However, he warned that the pace of the the sector's decarbonisation efforts would be shaped by the introduction of a stable post-Brexit policy environment. "As an industry we have huge potential when it comes to contributing to the government's green growth ambition, whether it's boosting farms' productivity and efficiency, increasing renewable energy production, creating jobs, contributing to economic growth, and building on the UK's sustainability credentials at home and abroad. But this potential will never be maximised if a lack of confidence, certainty and opportunity holds British farming back," he said. "If more than half of farmers are already preparing to invest in planting trees and improving soil health, just think how much we could achieve if farmers are given more confidence, and crucially, more opportunities, to invest in their enterprises."
The NFU's annual Confidence Survey examines the short- and mid-term confidence of British farmers about the future of their businesses. The latest survey, taken by 662 NFU members between 5 November 2020 and 8 January 2021, found that confidence among British famers remained negative for the third year running. Key concerns highlighted by farmers include the phasing out of the Basic Payment Scheme, new regulation and legislation, farm gate prices, and input prices.
The latest update comes as the government prepares to launch trials of its new Sustainable Farming Incentive regime, which promises to replace the current subsidy regime with a new approach that rewards farms for delivering environmental benefits.