Climate change mitigation alone is not enough, report warns

A new report released on Wednesday (5 March) by the AHDB spells out what changes farmers could make to their businesses to make them more resilient to climate change.

The Climate Change Adaptation report assesses the risk and opportunities from climate change to the industry and offers resources and solutions to help farmers address these on their farms, highlighting that mitigation alone is no longer enough.

See also: Farmers reject CCC’s call for livestock reduction targets

Farmers, the report suggests, can take active steps to protect themselves against climate change, and highlights opportunities to grow new crops and lower feed and energy costs from reduced housing of livestock as winters get warmer.

“Agriculture needs to begin adapting to, as well as mitigating against, climate change – it’s two sides of the same coin,” said the AHDB’s head of environment Rachael Madeley-Davies.

The good news, Mrs Madeley-Davies said, is that a lot of the actions required are current best practice, such as maintaining soil health for productivity and optimising animal health and welfare.

Risks

The risks posed to farm assets and productivity are considerable, however, and could have a significant impact on food production, the AHDB report warns. 

With the Met Office UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) suggesting that, by mid-century, the UK could see an increase in heavy rainfall of about 20%, the report identifies flooding as a high priority area.

Farmers are therefore encouraged to think about the impact on their business and assess whether it will lead to an increased likelihood of flooding in their area.

“Farmers need to identify any risk areas to their farm to future proof their business. Ensuring that soil remains permeable and minimising compaction is an easy win in terms of soil health and adapting to managing increased rainfall and flooding implications on farmland,” said Mrs Madeley-Davies.

The report forms part of the government’s National Adaptation Reporting Power programme fourth round (ARP4).

The programme assesses the UK’s planning and resilience to climate change and feeds into the next Climate Change Risk Assessment for the Climate Change Committee (CCC).  

More information on Climate Adaptation and further resources can be found on the AHDB website.