Editor’s choice
This project will compile and synthesize examples of good practice to inform more integrated and efficient nitrogen use in mixed arable and livestock farming, with a focus on Yorkshire, UK.
Yorkshire agricultural landscape. Photo: Jean McKendree / SEI.
While there is growing awareness of the problems with pollutants, and many farmers are tackling this, in many cases it is on an individual and ad-hoc basis. In the current landscape with planned policy changes and consultation on those changes, now is an ideal time to ensure evidence supports the development of more coherent and joined up approaches, such as the new Environmental Land Management scheme (ELM).
The project has been developed using recommendations from stakeholders working in farming, agricultural policy and scientific research who attended a Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP) sponsored workshop in March 2019 to explore approaches to integrated nitrogen management (INM).
The project will take a holistic approach and aims to assess key issues including the influence of nitrogen management on soil structure and function, the implications of different farmer practices, the potential benefits and trade-offs of farmer actions, and the implications of the new Agriculture Bill for farmer practice and environmental outcomes. The Bill, passed in November 2020, sets out how farmers and land managers in England will be rewarded in the future with public money for “public goods” – such as improved air and water quality, thriving wildlife, soil fertlity, or measures to reduce flooding and tackle climate change effects, through the ELM scheme.
Photo: Jean McKendree / SEI.
Outputs of the project will be user-friendly guidance and briefing papers to support INM both at the individual farm level and to support developing national policy. Key stakeholders will be involved in developing the guidance, providing an end-user perspective to ensure its suitability for the target audience.
Media coverage / In an interview with BBC One, SEI's Kevin Hicks discussed the problems caused by ammonia released from livestock farming.
Media coverage / SEI's Kevin Hicks discusses the issue of nitrogen pollution in a Guardian article on the five main drivers of biodiversity loss and how they can be tackled.
Past event / Sarah Laptain hosts four early career researchers delving into the themes of food security, climate change, and infant nutrition in this informal event.
