The AHDB baselining pilot will aim to measure the environmental impact of 170 producers across Great Britain.
The project is led by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which invested £2.5 million in the pilot and supported by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), which invested £375,000 in the beef, lamb and pork activity in Scotland.
Specialists Bluesky will carry out light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning using a plane or drone, which will be used to estimate above-ground carbon stocks and provide run-off water maps.
Travis Mayne from Bluesky, says: “LiDAR scanning provides detailed and accurate terrain data by measuring the height of both the terrain and any above-ground features such as hedges and trees.
“The range and depth of the data is a unique aspect of the Environment Baselining Pilot, presenting the 170 farms with information about their land which will bring new insights into its environmental value and impact.”
Cereals, oilseeds and dairy producers, as well as beef and lamb producers, will be involved. The 170 participating farms represent the diversity within British farming, said AHDB.
Creating standardised data
The goal of the pilot is to “create the opportunity for a nationwide standardised data set” across cereals, oilseeds, dairy, beef, pork and lamb sectors. AHDB said this would “bring integrity to the industry” and enable “more accurate reporting of emissions and the environmental impact of agriculture”.
Rob Meadley, a cereals and oilseeds grower from East Yorkshire, said: “I really wanted to get a better understanding of where our farm is in terms of environmental credentials. I hope in the future there will be a premium for food produced in an environmentally sustainable way for which we need to know the baseline to measure any improvements. I really want to get a handle on the figures behind what we are doing and plan to do on the farm.
“I want to help make the farm more sustainable for the future in terms of crop production, the environment and profitability. I can measure crops and finances; I hope the pilot will help me measure the environment.”
Chris Gooderham, AHDB Environment director, said: “We are pleased to have confirmed the 170 farms, out of 500 that applied to be part of the project. The start of LiDAR measurements marks an important first step of the pilot in beginning to understand the environmental credential of the farms taking part.”
AHDB said further measurements to build the environmental picture of participating farms will continue in 2025 and will include soil carbon and nutrient testing, as well as a carbon audit.
