A project that aimed to “measure and manage carbon flows” on Northern Ireland farms has helped farmers make a positive change towards carbon zero farming.
That is according to the current chief executive of the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) who has highlighted the role played by the ARCZero project.
LMC chief executive, Ian Stevenson, said the evidence from the project is “overwhelming” and is a testimony to farmers who have participated in the ARCZero project over the past two years and underwent their respective journeys towards net-zero.
Stevenson said: “The figures clearly show that it is possible to secure a low carbon future for farming without making wholesale management changes.
“ARCZero has shown conclusively that it is possible to secure lower carbon footprint values per unit of output by committing to improved levels of efficiency across a farm business.
“This initiative has proven to be one of the most significant undertaken within out farming sector for many years.”
Stevenson highlighted that conclusive data has been amassed over the past two years across the seven ARCZero farms.
This includes full carbon assessments across all participating businesses both at the beginning and end of the project.
He added: “We now have real information on the amounts of carbon that are actually stored in our soils, hedgerows, grasslands, woodland and crops.
“More importantly, we also have clear insights regarding the steps that can be taken by farmers to manage carbon more effectively.
“For example, maintaining soils at a pH value of around 6.5 is crucially important in this regard.
“The inclusion of clover in our grass swards is another significant step that can be taken on many farms to improve production efficiency levels.”
The LMC chief executive also pin pointed the more effective use of animal slurries and the potential of multi species swards.
Stevenson added: “The bottom line is that all these mitigations can be implemented in very straightforward ways. The associated investment costs are minimal.
“However, the return generated in terms of improved margins is more than significant.
“ARCZero has shown categorically that the attainment of improved farm-efficiency levels will deliver a lower carbon footprint across all farming businesses.
“All of this adds up to a win:win scenario for farmers.”
ARCZero is a European Innovation Partnership project, comprising a co-operative of seven farms that are located right across Northern Ireland.