As pressure mounts for the agri-food sector to understand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the UK’s net zero commitments, there is a growing demand for carbon assessments.
However, it is important to note that one size does not fit all when it comes to carbon assessments. Understanding how these tools are being used and how they can evolve to reflect real-world farming systems and industry priorities is crucial.
For farmers, carbon assessments are not merely about meeting reporting requirements; they present an opportunity to gain insights that enable more resilient, efficient and sustainable production.
How do we navigate the diverse requirements around carbon assessments in the agri-food sector?
Seventy two percent of actors within the supply chain identified confidence in the data accuracy of tool providers as the most important outcome of carbon assessments, with independent verification also a key priority, according to a new report published by the UK Agri-Tech Centre in collaboration with Farm Carbon Toolkit.
The two organisations collaborated to enhance the understanding of the range of uses to which carbon assessment tools are applied within the UK’s agri-food supply chain. This effort builds upon a previous harmonisation study undertaken by Defra, resulting in an independent, sector-wide review of carbon assessments and their diverse use cases to drive innovation, sector growth and support climate-smart decisions across the supply chain.
Crucially, the report titled “Navigating the diverse needs and requirements of carbon assessments in the agri-food sector” also evaluates how well the needs of the sector are being met by the limited number of carbon assessment tools currently available on the market. The study is based on survey responses from more than 40 agri-businesses and ancillary service providers. The findings were used to map current carbon assessment to requirements and a gap analysis was undertaken to identify to what extent the tools meet those requirements.
It covers data-driven carbon assessments, the tools and methods used, supporting services received, as well as motivations for and barriers to those assessments. With strategic insights for agri-businesses, farmers and growers and carbon tool providers, the report makes a series of recommendations around practice and adoption, standardisation and data accuracy, financial support and innovation.
The report is a resource to shape decisions, investments and innovations across the carbon assessment landscape.
