Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes
• Farm carbon and methane emissions
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
• Food security
• Labour issues
• Extreme weather events

Environmental Achievements

• Increased interest in Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes due to declining BPS payments
• Some farms are adopting peat-free compost

Social Achievements

• Farm Expo increasing in popularity
• Helpful helpline for SFI applications

Governance Achievements

• New Veterinary Attestation rules implemented

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Continuous rain leading to livestock housing, depleted fodder, increased costs, and lower milk prices
• High electricity, feed, straw, and labor costs impacting margins
• Difficult autumn and spring drillings resulting in poor or failed crops
• Restricted spraying and fertilizer applications due to saturated ground
• Labour availability issues in horticulture
• Declining BPS payments
• Frustration with SFI rollout
• Limited SFI options for horticulture, permanent grassland, and smaller farms
• High interest rates impacting cash flow
• Concerns about food security due to undrilled arable land and land committed to environmental areas
• Market uncertainty, commodity price volatility, and extreme weather events
• Bovine TB (bTB) causing movement restrictions and challenges
• Slurry lagoon pressure due to high rainfall
• Straw shortage and price rise
• Lambing challenges due to wet weather
• Pig and poultry producers leaving the sector due to high input costs and low returns
• Decline in independent abattoirs
• Feed quality problems for broiler producers
• Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle impacting OSR crops
• Subdued grain prices
• Late potato season and storage issues
• Wet weather impacting sugar beet harvesting
• Reduced cider apple area due to market reduction
• Difficult hops market
• Reduced UK hop area
• Lack of funding for hop breeding program
• Lack of access to foreign markets for hops
• Cap on the amount of land put into the SFI
• Limited SFI options for hill farmers and small farms with environmental features
• Lack of cashflow to commit to schemes or items funded by grants
• Overwhelmed agents and farmers unable to afford agents
• Seed companies rationing spring cropping seeds
• High interest rates and banks closing farming accounts
• New tax changes
• Shortage of labour
• Livestock worrying
• Environment Agency inspections
• Minimum 4-month storage targets for slurry and FYM
• Rigid spreading dates
• Increase in RPA boundaries and cross-compliance inspections
• Lack of standardized carbon footprint calculator
• Unclear understanding of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
• Difficulty obtaining Heptavac P and long-acting antibiotics

Mitigation Strategies

• Farmers considering environmental schemes
• Farmers considering regenerative farming techniques and carbon certificates
• Farms converting redundant farm buildings for income
• Farmers amending financial year ends to 31st March
• Some farmers optimizing SFIs to reduce workload
• Consultancy groups organizing meetings and workshops on carbon emissions

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Extreme weather events
• Flooding
• Wet weather impacting crops and livestock

Transition Risks

• Declining BPS payments
• Changes in environmental schemes

Opportunities

• Regenerative farming techniques and carbon certificates