SRUC leads on carbon auditing for farmers

Getting to grips with carbon audits on farms will not only help businesses assess what is required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions - and where to best target efforts - but it will also better place them to decide if they should dabble in the emerging market for carbon trading.

The SRUC’s Agrecalc emerging as one of the front runners in a wide field of auditing tools designed to assess a farm’s carbon footprint.

Principal consultant with the college, Julian Bell said: “The UK is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and the agricultural sector is uniquely placed to be part of the solution.

“Agrecalc will be there to explore the ways our clients and partners can measure, benchmark and lower the carbon footprint on farms and land-based businesses, as well as throughout the entire food supply chain.”

With the tool being showcased at next week’s Low Carbon Agricultural Show, at the NAEC Stoneleigh near Kenilworth, he said the Agrecalc team would be giving practical guidance on how farm operators could navigate the enterprise changes required, as well as looking at what climate change mitigations the supply chain might require of farmers in the future.

“The tool helps identify how different farm enterprises contribute to your overall footprint, identifies your strengths and weaknesses, and how to assess the impact of your chosen mitigation measures on your carbon footprint and the operational efficiency of your farm business,” said Bell.