Soil organic carbon is one of the most important factors when it comes to the sustainability of both our food production and the environment. Soils with higher organic carbon levels are more stable and have better structure. It improves aeration and drainage thus resulting in less erosion and leaching of nutrients. As a result this will improve fertility which will not only improve yields but also improves the growing crops ability to sequester carbon.
For me, this map is a good indicator that UK farming is working well together with the environment. We know we are producing food, and our yields are higher than ever before, but still we have retained our soil organic carbon levels. Our soil health. What’s more, farmers in the UK are taking more steps than ever to not only maintain our soil health, but to improve it further. Meanwhile, reports from around the world suggest that soil health and sustainability is diminishing at an alarming rate. Some reports claim that we are down to our last 80-100 harvests due to soil degradation and desertification. It may well be claimed that our temperate maritime climate is the key factor in maintaining our soil health, but close study of this map tells me that our livestock production is equally, if not more so important. Livestock and mixed livestock regions of the UK can clearly be picked out, with our poorer areas around the east of the country - the main arable region where livestock is few and far between. It’s simply not a climate / north - south divide, as where the SE arable region is very different to the healthy soils of the SW, a predominantly livestock farming area.
With this in mind, why are parts of our government so keen to drastically alter our nations farming industry and, as a consequence, our environment? Rewilding, woodland creation, and in particular, the removal or decreasing of livestock numbers would have little impact, and quite possibly a long term negative impact on the environment, while having a huge and almost immediate impact on our food production and food security. Offshoring food production would not be improving the environment, as the map clearly demonstrates, instead just washing our hands of the problem and our responsibilities, and passing it on to others. Unfortunately, those others may not be as conscious of our environment, our sustainability or our food quality and animal welfare!
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