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UK farmers are ready to tackle climate change head-on UK farmers are ready to tackle climate change head-on with 85% feeling responsible as an industry to take action. 9% of UK farmers have already implemented innovative measures to tackle climate change such as using renewable energies. Farmers are overwhelmingly optimistic, with 73% agreeing there are opportunities for the industry to thrive in the future. Climate change has become an increasingly important issue for UK farmers, with 85% feeling responsible as an industry to take action. This is according to the latest Farm Forward Barometer from McDonald’s UK and Map of Ag. The UK farming community is tackling the issue of climate change head-on. 39% of UK farmers are already rolling out innovative measures like using renewable energies by installing solar panels and erecting wind turbines, upgrading to more efficient machinery and modernising farming practices.
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Looking ahead to the future The next few years will be crucial for the sector’s efforts to tackle climate change, with over a third (39%) of UK farmers planning to put carbon-reduction measures in place in the next 12 months, and a further 20% within the next two years. UK farmers see putting these kinds of measures in place to tackle climate change as necessary to secure the future of their farm business. Nearly a third (31%) see environmental protection as being the most important factor in ensuring UK farming remains competitive globally. Despite some challenges ahead, UK farmers are positive in their outlook, with 73% agreeing that there are opportunities for the UK farming industry to thrive in the future. Jim Williams, Head of Market Research at Map of Ag said: “UK Farmers are clearly ready to tackle climate change and it’s great to see that many have already put measures in place
to address the issue. “Looking to the future, we expect environmental issues to become increasingly important to the industry, with such a large number of farmers telling us environmental protection is hugely important to the global competitiveness of UK farming.” Nina Prichard, Head of Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing McDonald’s UK & Ireland said: “The research results are really encouraging, not only from a climate change perspective, but for the future and sustainability of the industry. “Our farming industry is vital, not just to our business but to the UK as a whole. That’s why we’ve invested £35 billion with UK-based suppliers over the last 45 years and we’ll continue to invest in and support the 23,000 British and Irish farmers that help us make the food that we’re famous for. We want to use our scale for good to help the farmers who supply us to continue to tackle climate change.”
December 2019 | Farming Monthly | 09
