Farmers bible puts climate crisis at heart of agenda

Signet Library Christiana Figueres receives the Edinburgh Medal at a reception held at the Signet Library, Edinburgh. with speeches from Lord Provost Frank Ross and msp roseanna cunningham

Media attention in the run up to the United Nation’s COP 26 conference in Glasgow has highlighted the need for every individual and business to do their bit to address the challenges of climate change.

But as the issue has moved from the fringes to be the mainstream concerns of today, the inclusion of sections on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improving carbon sequestration in the country’s farm management bible has possibly sealed the transition.

Writing in the 42nd edition of the 2021-22 Farm Management Handbook, which is collated and published by SAC Consulting, the handbook’s editor Alastair Beattie said that it was now widely accepted that all businesses, including farms, would have to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions responsible for driving climate change.

“The Scottish government has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas losses across Scotland, with an interim goal of a 75 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 (against a 1990 baseline), with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2045.”

And he said that as other sectors cut their emissions, it was likely that the contributions from farming activities would gain more prominence.

However, Beattie added that the agricultural sector had the potential to play a key role in the solution to climate change.

“Through improving technical efficiency and using new technologies and techniques, alongside implementing land management practices which can store or ‘sequester’ carbon, removing it from the atmosphere and locking it into soils, vegetation and trees, the agricultural sector has a key role to play.”

Alongside major revisions to the beef, sheep and dairy gross margins and updates to price levels, the compendium includes a reminder that agriculture was third on the list behind transport and business in contributions to total Scottish greenhouse gas emissions in 2018.

“With agriculture coming under the spotlight, the handbook provides information on practical mitigation measures to reduce emissions and sequestrate carbon, including the use of carbon calculators,” said Beattie.

While an on-line version of the new publication is available for download at the fas.scot website, a printed version of the handbook will be available soon from SAC Consulting for £30 plus postage and packaging.

And to further push the message, the 43rd TB Macaulay Lecture –organised by the James Hutton Institute and which takes place during the COP conference – will focus on the scale of the challenge.

The lecture will be given by Christiana Figueres, internationally recognised leader on global climate change and the main architect of the Paris Accord in 2015 on her only public speaking appearance during COP26.

“This is not climate change anymore, this is climate chaos… we are literally holding the pen of history in our hands and it’s time to wake up!”

Professor Colin Campbell, chief executive of the James Hutton Institute, said Figueres would focus on the urgent need to shift from rhetoric to action in a bid to survive the climate crisis.