Farming must be part of the climate change solution
Major land use changes will be required to sequester more carbon and thereby offset emissions.
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Following this week鈥檚 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 抖阴直播鈥檚 Professor Davy McCracken looks at what the hard-hitting report means for Scotland鈥檚 food producers.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments on climate change and to put forward options to help adapt and mitigate the implications and risks associated with a warming planet.
The most recent听听was published earlier this week and听it is stark and hard-hitting. The weight of evidence is overwhelming, with the full report running to thousands of pages and even the听summary for policymakers 鈥榦nly鈥� being 40 pages long.听
Nevertheless, the main thrust can be summarised as follows:听
- The extreme events (e.g. floods, droughts and wildfires) we are seeing across the globe are down to climate change, and it is unequivocable that human activities have driven that change
- The planet is now warming rapidly, with the result that such extreme events will occur much more regularly and it鈥檚 going to get worse before it gets better
- And it will only get better 鈥� in terms of reducing the amount of warming that will occur by the middle of the century 鈥� if marked reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades
We know that farming is an important emitter of greenhouse gases and hence there is a need to change farming practices and systems to reduce the amount of those emissions in the future.听
But as well as being part of the problem, farming also has a major role to play in being part of the solution.听In particular,听major听land use changes will be required to sequester more carbon and thereby offset the emissions that 鈥� although reduced 鈥� will continue to be associated with our food production.听
Addressing the ongoing听climate听emergency听-听and听the associated听biodiversity听crisis听鈥� will therefore听mean听farmers and听crofters听in Scotland听adopting a new direction of travel, one which involves producing wider environmental outcomes in addition to agricultural products.听
抖阴直播 and SAC Consulting听play听a leading role in developing new approaches to听the听measurement and mitigation of听greenhouse gas emissions听from听farming. And we are also involved in a wide range of initiatives providing advice on how those approaches could be implemented on the ground.听
Last year, the Scottish Government asked myself and colleagues if听increasing听听on听direct payments听(i.e. requiring land managers to do more actions on the ground voluntarily in order to qualify for public funding)听could help deliver the scale of听environmental听benefits that is needed.听
The simple answer was听鈥榊es鈥� and听that this could help provide a range of water quality,听biodiversity听and climate change benefits.听
For example, making it mandatory for all farms to establish and fence-off wide margins next to watercourses听would provide water quality and biodiversity benefits. And conducting a carbon audit and putting in place a nutrient management plan听would identify where greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced.听
But听we also highlighted that听it will听be essential to听embed听this听approach听within a new wider package of support听designed to听help听the transition听of听farmers and听crofters听to听the new听ways of working听required.听听
Two听recently published听reports will hopefully听help听stimulate听further consideration of what such a听common framework听needs to look like.听
The听Farming for 1.5 Degrees听final report听听and a policy briefing from NFUS on听听provide suggestions听on how听future听policy could听deliver on food production, climate change and biodiversity.听
The听NFUS briefing pulls together the recent work of the five听听鈥� including the one focussed on Hill, Upland & Crofting -听and听hence is intended to听suggest a听common听way forward听for both farming and crofting in Scotland.听
Both reports acknowledge听the need for听a transition period to听a new support policy听and听for听that听new听framework听to听reward those who deliver on public goods.听Just as importantly, both reports urge the Scottish Government to start the process of transition as soon听as possible.听
The need for urgency is echoed in the IPCC report, where it emphasises that if听governments听don鈥檛 start down the pathway to Net-Zero now,听the scale of the problem will only get bigger.听听
And getting bigger doesn鈥檛 just听simply听mean the danger of global temperature increasing by more than听two听degrees centigrade. It also means that the more the temperature rises above that level,听the more extreme and unpredictable climate events will become.听
There听has been a lot of talk听about听how agricultural support in Scotland could potentially change in the short,听medium听and long-term.听听
But听what we particularly need now is action. So听it is essential that听we move听on from discussions听about听what听鈥�could鈥櫶齜e done听and instead put in place the policy framework that ensures that the actions that 鈥�need鈥� to happen on the ground 鈥�will鈥� actually happen.听
Only by doing that will听it become clearer to听our farmers and crofters听what听large-scale听changes听they need to start making听to their systems and practices听now,听before it听becomes听too late to make any听real听difference.听
Professor听Davy McCracken听
Head of 抖阴直播鈥檚听Hill & Mountain Research Centre听
Further reading听
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Posted by 抖阴直播 on 11/08/2021
