The most widespread pollutant of our rivers and oceans, air quality, biodiversity and climate can be tackled by farmers adopting organic practices while saving costs, the House of Lords heard today (Wednesday 5 March).
Giving evidence to an inquiry on nitrogen that is currently taking place, the Soil Association told the Lords that best practice from organic farms, which use nature-based solutions instead of artificial fertilisers, could benefit any type of farmer. The charity has also submitted written evidence to the inquiry detailing how the nitrogen being lost to the environment is currently costing British farmers more than the government’s annual farming budget. These costs – initially revealed in a report by WWF and supporters of the Sustainable Nitrogen Alliance (SNA) – are being incurred through wasted artificial fertiliser and livestock manure, which are polluting UK rivers.
Another recent report from the SNA – convened by the Soil Association with supporting organisations such as WWF and the RSPB – found that government is off-track to meeting its targets around reducing nitrogen pollution, which is largely driven by the food and farming sector.
Speaking after giving evidence to the inquiry, Soil Association farming advisor Jerry Alford, said: “Both chemical fertilisers and the muck generated by intensive livestock are driving an excess of nitrogen in our rivers, climate, and air. This is having a disastrous impact on wildlife, animal welfare and human health, and to make matters worse, farmers are spending a fortune on this vital nutrient, only to lose it to the environment. “But the good news is there are practices that any farmer can adopt to provide nitrogen through nature-friendly methods, while boosting their resilience and profitability. We want to see the government prioritising adoption of best practice from organic farming with a greater focus on healthy soils and whole-farm approaches to nutrient recycling.”
