Labour’s Net Zero plans will fail both farmers and the climate, argues ROB PALMER
The Labour government’s push for Net Zero has created a false dichotomy: a choice between a thriving agricultural sector and a healthy planet. This narrative, increasingly peddled by both the media and politicians, pits our farmers against our climate goals, painting a picture where one must be sacrificed for the other.
But this is a dangerous oversimplification, ignoring the immense potential for synergy between agriculture and climate action. The recent Climate and Nature bill highlights this misunderstanding, where farmers are forced to ‘rewild’ their land as in what is seemingly the only solution to achieve CO2 and biodiversity goals. But this threatens our food security and rural economies.
Recent headlines highlight this unnecessary conflict. “Farmers fear Labour’s green agenda will cripple food production” in The Daily Telegraph, while The Guardian warns of “Growing tensions between farmers and environmentalists over Net Zero targets.” This rhetoric, focused on restrictions and sacrifices, ignores the innovative solutions that can benefit both farmers and the environment.
Labour’s current Net Zero strategy relies heavily on expensive and unproven technologies like Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC). These are “techno-fixes” – grand, centralized projects that require vast infrastructure and energy inputs. While potentially playing a role in the future, their reliance on a domestic energy grid that is limited and the most expensive in Europe would suggest that these aren’t viable now.
Instead of pouring billions into these vanity projects, we should be investing in natural climate solutions that work with nature, not against it. Two such solutions, ripe with potential, are biochar and enhanced weathering.
Biochar, a charcoal-like substance produced from the pyrolysis of organic waste like crop residues or green council waste, offers a such synergistic benefits for climate and agriculture. By stabilising the carbon in biomass, you remove the potential of CO2 being released through combustion or decomposition. When applied to soil, biochar improves soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability, leading to increased yields and reduced reliance on fertilisers. It’s one solution for the environment and farmers.
Enhanced weathering involves spreading finely-ground silicate rocks on farmland. As these rocks weather, they react with COâ‚‚ from the atmosphere, locking it away as stable carbonates. This process mimics natural rock weathering but at an accelerated rate, effectively drawing down atmospheric COâ‚‚. The feedstock for this process is the by-product of our domestic quarry industry and therefore, much like biochar production, is hugely abundant. The weathering process releases essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, boosting crop growth and increasing soil pH, much like liming. Again, to the benefit of farmers.
These solutions are not theoretical. Studies by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology have shown the potential of biochar to sequester significant amounts of carbon while improving soil health. Similarly, research at the University of Sheffield has demonstrated the efficacy of enhanced weathering in both carbon removal and yield enhancement. Biochar alone has over 600,000 articles on Google Scholar.
Yet, despite the evidence, Labour’s Net Zero strategy largely ignores these win-win solutions. Instead of focusing on expensive, top-down technologies, we should be empowering farmers to become active participants in the fight against climate change. What is more frustrating is that there are companies across the UK commercialising both technologies with no support from the government, despite these benefits.
Imagine a future where farmers receive carbon credits for implementing biochar and enhanced weathering, providing a new income stream whilst reducing their input costs. Agricultural waste is transformed into valuable biochar, creating local jobs and boosting rural economies. Healthy soils, enriched by biochar and weathered minerals, produce abundant food with fewer chemical inputs.
This is not a pipe dream. This is an economically-viable and sustainable future where agriculture and climate action work hand in hand. It’s time for Labour to ditch the false choice and embrace a Net Zero strategy that benefits both our agricultural sector and the planet.
