A coalition of more than 60 farmers is calling on the UK government to support a transition to regenerative agriculture to ensure long-term food security.
Coordinated by the Sustainable Food Trust, the farmers argue that a shift to regenerative farming practices is an essential response to soaring fertiliser and fuel costs caused by the Ukraine war.
Regenerative practices reduce or remove the need for chemical fertilisers by working with nature to build the soil’s natural fertility.
The farmers are calling on the government to implement a series of measures including financial support to enable a large-scale transition to regenerative agriculture; regulation which ensures that farmers are rewarded for public goods outcomes, and carry the costs of damaging practices; and measures to ensure access to high quality foods for lower income groups.
They also want to see agreement on a common set of measures for understanding the sustainability of food production at the farm level, underpinned by a universal labelling scheme.
Around 1 million tonnes of nitrogen fertiliser is currently used in UK agriculture. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fertiliser prices have rocketed, which in turn threatens to reduce the next harvest and push up food prices even further.
A recent report from the Sustainable Food Trust modelled how a UK-wide shift to regenerative farming would impact food production. It found that fruit and vegetable production could double, pulses for human consumption could quadruple, and beef and lamb production could be maintained, while grain for animal feed, and the production of chicken and pork would fall. Under this scenario, the Sustainable Food Trust said the UK would be able to maintain or even improve its current levels of self-sufficiency, providing we eat more healthily as a nation.
“A transition to regenerative farming practices would help fight climate change, protect nature and our health as well as build national food security,” said Patrick Holden, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust.
A shift to regenerative agriculture is a key plank of net zero plans from businesses including Nestlé and Compass Group UK & Ireland, although questions remain around how it is defined.
