Letter to the Financial Times about livestock emissions

Sir,

Reducing livestock emissions is a complex task, (Burping cow is just part of the problem, Financial Times, January 27) but the UK livestock and dairy sectors take their environmental responsibilities very seriously. They are already looking at practical measures to reduce their impact, as the Environmental Plan for Dairy Farming, the Dairy Roadmap and the Eblex Beef & Sheep Roadmap demonstrate.

Methane emissions from UK agriculture have fallen by 17 per cent since 1990. Agriculture as a whole only accounts for around seven per cent of the UK’s total GHG emissions. We are always looking for ways to make our businesses more efficient while having less and less impact on the environment.

It is vital that we see investment in research and new technologies to continue this level of achievement and improve productivity. The NFU strongly supports research aimed at reducing methane emissions from livestock farming by changing diets, improving productivity and using anaerobic digestion to produce biogas as a low carbon source of energy.

Dr Jonathan Scurlock
NFU chief renewable and climate change adviser
Agriculture House
Stoneleigh Park
Warwickshire
CV8 2TZ
Tel: 02476 858686