Landwards 2009 Conference Report
Landwards 2009 Conference Report
The need to achieve more secure food supplies and to obtain more of the nation’s energy and raw material requirements from the land whilst maintaining biodiversity along with providing access for amenity presents a mounting challenge for both policy makers and land managers. Conflicts are inevitable. What factors should come into play when determining whether land should be used for food or fuel; production or wild life and amenity; how can surface water management be incorporated; where does forestry fit in? Can the conflicts be mitigated; where is the balance; where are the gaps in our knowledge; how can engineers and scientists contribute by working with land managers?
These are the issues that were addressed by the 2009 Landwards Conference. The morning session was chaired by Michael Woodhouse, Principal Specialist - Integrated Delivery & Advice Team, Natural England who pulled together the morning topics in a discussion session.
The keynote paper was by Professor Allan Buckwell who set the scene and considered the policy options relating to land use. Professor Buckwell is currently Policy Director with the (England and Wales) Country and Land Business Association and is chair of the policy committee run by the European Landowners Association. Click for a pdf of Professor Buckwell's presentation Moving towards a Policy for Food and Environmental Security
Abstract
Everyone was – or should have been – alarmed at the suddenness and scale of the food price spike which took place last year. It signalled how precarious the world food supply is. Yet the EU is patently well-fed, and already supports and protects its farmers. So what are the lessons of the food crisis – and the financial crisis – for Europe’s food and agricultural policy? I will argue that there is no clear model emerging, which is why we offer the concept of Food and Environmental Security as a new basis for the CAP as it evolves after 2013. The talk explains the background to this and what we mean.
Professor Chris Pollock with an extensive background in research particularly as Director of the BBSRC Institute for Grassland and Environmental Research and as author of a recent report relating to sustainable land use highlighted some of the key areas requiring further research. Click for a pdf of Professor Pollock's presentation Sustainable Food Production, What is it, How do we get it and Can we afford it?
Abstract
The latter quarter of the 20th Century was notable for a sustained decline in the global price of agricultural commodities. There were two main reasons for this. Production rose faster than demand because of technological advances and increased area of cultivation, and some countries “mined” their food production capacity in order to earn foreign currency. This fed the UK Government vision of a post-Industrial economy that can be caricatured as “Singapore North”. Here, successful economic activity provides the leverage to buy, now and into the future, all the food and raw materials that are not being generated from within.
I have grave doubts as to the long-term applicability of this policy in a world that will be increasingly resource-limited. UK land use is, in my view, at a cusp in its development. CAP reform and the Curry report offered the prospect of liberating the farming community from the dead hand of protectionist dogma. However, the innate conservatism of the industry, coupled with a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with its wider beneficiaries, has meant that Curry’s vision of multifunctional land use is a long way from realization. Nevertheless, it remains a wholly laudable objective. The size of the market wholly controlled by farmers may be small in relation to the stranglehold exercised by the big retailers and processors, but it is growing and it has an excellent public image when compared to commodity production (particularly of animal products). In my view, the Industry needs to recognize the impetus that niche, high quality, high value systems give the sector as a whole and represent this in its political and commercial lobbying
The major driver for change will be increasing world commodity prices. Global population is forecast to peak at 9 Bn, an increase of 2 Bn from today. This will be at a time when climate change will be adversely affecting yields at lower latitudes, when there will be increasing competition for both land and water for energy production and for urban development and when an increasing demand for animal products will require an extra 300 Mt of cereals by 2050. Currently Northern Europe enjoys cheap, safe and reliable food supplies. By the middle of this century I believe we will have to decide which two of these three we really want. If it ends up by being safety and reliability, then the increase in food costs could favour Northern European producers. In this talk I will examine the consequences of such changes and some of the challenges that it will set producers, policy makers and researchers.
Britain will want local food produced safely and in sympathy with the environment. At that time, we will need committed, economically successful farmers to grow it, a quality-oriented food chain to process and market it and a much better-engaged R&D effort to sustain it. We can maintain our capacity to deliver such an outcome, but I am by no means certain that we will.
David Riddle, Director of Land Use for the National Trust, the nation’s largest land owner, with particular responsibilities to uphold heritage amenity and wild life interests whilst operating against economic criteria, set out how the Trust balances such conflicting demands. Click here for a pdf of David's presentation on Land Use for ever, for everyone – a National Trust Perspective.
Abstract
Land and the National Trust
The National Trust’s purpose is the promotion of the preservation of places of historic interest or natural beauty, in perpetuity, for the benefit of the nation. We are undoubtedly best known for the wondrous array of historic houses, collections, monuments and gardens in our care, but our responsibility for land surpasses that of any other landowner in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, other than the state.
Our total landholding stands at 252,000 ha (622,000 acres) (Jan 2009) and includes some of the nations’ most treasured countryside – large areas of upland, traditional lowland estates, more than 1,100 km of coastline, nature reserves and many iconic landscapes.
Our challenge as an organisation is to look after these special places (including their environment) for ever, for everyone. Sustainability is fundamental to our purpose and for our land management to be sustainable we must aim to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
We are a conservation organisation but our land management is not just about landscape, wildlife and public access; it involves the care of a working environment producing essential goods and services upon which many people depend to make their living. Eighty percent of our land is farmed or dependent on farming in some way. Most is let to tenant farmers under nearly 2,000 separate agreements. Around 25,000 ha is woodland, most of which we manage directly.
What is land for?
Land is a finite resource and the demands we make on it continue to grow. World population is increasing fast, resulting in more demand for food, wood, energy and clean water; yet the area of productive land from which they can come is being steadily eroded by development, degradation, climate change and sea level rise.
This means that the remaining land is going to be under increased pressure to meet multiple objectives - for growing food and timber, storage of water and flood control, sinking and storage of carbon, providing space for people to live, maintaining functioning ecosystems, and providing recreational space for mental and physical health. Some of these demands may be compatible, others not so. We need to be clear how our estate can maintain land capability and multi-functionality while still being practical and affordable.
We recognise that all land is multifunctional however we choose to use it, and we have highlighted six basic functions of land that need to be considered in all our management decision making:
These different functions face a range of demands and pressures and we will need to adopt a flexible and far sighted approach to land management to address them.
Our approach to sustainable land management
Drawing on our practical experience of managing land for more than a century we have established a set of principles for sustainable land management to help guide our decision making in future. In short we will strive to:
The big challenges
We have carefully considered which aspects of our land management are least sustainable and we have identified five major challenges where we believe we will need to change and where we feel we can make most difference. If we are to safeguard the essential functions of land and ensure that we nurture and harvest natural resources rather than mining and destroying them we believe we will need to:
We know the types of things that will help to address each of these challenges but even within the National Trust we cannot wave a magic wand and will need to work closely with the people who make the decisions on how our land is managed - our property staff and tenants. With them we will identify what is achievable, affordable and practical and use to their creativity and imagination to find solutions that will help to safeguard our natural resources and land capability for future generations.
In the afternoon, Poul Christensen combined his experience as a farmer, Acting Chair of Natural England and non-Executive Director of Defra to chair a session concerned with individual production sectors.
Paul Temple - formerly NFU Vice President - talked on the arable perspective from the producers point of view. As well as Chairing the COPA COGECA Cereals Group for European farming organisations, he is Vice Chairman of the Oilseeds & Protein Group and currently holds the position of Non-executive Director of Farmway - the largest Northern Co-operative.
Stefania Pizzirani, Project Officer, Centre for Forest Resources and Management, at The Forest Research department of the Forestry Commission, outlined how the needs for economic management can be matched to environmental and amenity considerations. Click for a pdf of Stefania's presentation on Developing Tools to Meet the Demand for Sustainable Forestry
Abstract
UK forests face increasing challenges due to a broad range factors ranging from complex forest management demands to shifts in consumer patterns. Consequently, there is a growing need for a comprehensive analysis of sustainability throughout the forestry-wood chain. However, current analysis methods such as life cycle evaluation or multi-criteria analysis do not encompass all aspects of sustainability. The Eforwood project was developed to address this issue for all parts of the forestry-wood chain.
The objective of the Eforwood project is to enhance our understanding of how global changes impact the European forest sector, and to model the sustainability of different forestry-wood chains (FWC). To do this, Eforwood is developing a software package, Tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment (ToSIA). ToSIA enables users to simulate and compare the impacts of various decisions on the performance of the FWC as measured against key environmental, social and economic indicators.
The aggregated results from ToSIA are then compared using multi-criteria analysis which allows the identification of sustainability issues and facilitates discussion. Through the use of tools such as ToSIA, it will be possible for the forest sector to improve efficiency and maximise its potential to deliver a range of benefits and thus become more dynamic and responsive in a changing world.
Dr Malcolm Crabtree, manager of the Leckford Estates with many diverse enterprises and forms of land use that are closely connected to the requirements of a high profile food retailer, gave these issues a real life context. Click for a pdf of Malcom's presentation on Mixed Farming at Leckford Estate – Back to the future
Abstract
All land managers and farmers have to balance the priorities set for them in managing land. At Leckford the priorities are set by the Estate Management Committee in a five year business plan and encompass several objectives, two of which are
However generating a profit is regarded as a very important use of the land on the Estate. Within this context land on the Estate is used for the following purposes
The author discussed and expanded on these issues and the decision making process which has lead to their incorporation in the operation of Leckford Estate which has been owned by the John Lewis Partnership since 1928.
Peter Redman, a past President of IAgrE and Technical Secretary to the Douglas Bomford Trust, presented the final paper at the conference. Using his considerable experience from working with ADAS and a wide range of organisations, he considered the implications of the issues raised during the day and identified opportunities for inputs from engineers, technologists and managers. Click for a pdf of Peter's presentation Do agricultural engineers have some of the answers?
Summary conclusions
We have a problem! Land contains and supports our fundamental resources of soil, water, habitation, habitats and landscape. These provide for food, drink, fuel, fibre, specialist chemicals, recreation and biodiversity. Forecasters generally agree that the combined effects of climate change, population growth, life style changes and the exhaustion of raw materials presents a potentially overwhelming challenge for mankind. Some are less pessimistic, anticipating that reductions in the rate of population growth will be more than matched by potential improvements in food productivity.
In any event there is a challenge. The values ascribed to this challenge vary but all are huge, other than for the time available to effect the massive response required. Some suggest that there are now only decades. Whilst not ignoring the fact that most of the sun’s energy falls on the oceans the greatest impact of this challenge will be on the use of land and its associated water. At the global scale the unavailability of food and water appears set to outstrip population growth across swathes of mankind. Other communities will seek more ‘land demanding’ diets. The quest for sustainable energy sources is already competing with food in the use of natural resources. Biodiversity seems to be an inevitable, if amoral, casualty.
But do WE have a problem?
But that is the big picture. Is there any cause for concern closer to home? Taken as one set of indicators of the demand for land UK farm incomes remain modest, food prices have been kept relatively low and animal based foods are still thrust upon us. Never the less the signs of the emerging pressures on land use are at hand. Recent swings in grain prices and the level of global reserves imply that food security is fragile. Reductions in bird species and numbers, a key biodiversity indicator, are causing concern. The reluctance to allow freedom to roam over some less productive land, legislation aimed at improving water quality, the need for designations to protect more of our landscapes, urban expansion and the use of land for flood control are further signs of converging pressures. We should at least - Prepare to have a problem soon!
Opportunities, options or imperatives
These must be addressed by multidisciplinary activity working across all scales from cell to landscape and identifying and accounting for all consequences.
How can agricultural engineering contribute?
Engineering invariably provides both the means for change and the application of other technologies. It enables power to be applied raising both capacity and capability, enables repetitive or hazardous tasks to be sustained, facilitates the acquisition of information that supports better decisions, and achieves precision and control to minimise waste and pollution. When applied in an informed manner these can improve efficiency, conserve resource, maintain quality and make core resources available to other users.
But power can be abused either wilfully or inadvertently. Fragile soils can be further destabilised leading to soil loss and water pollution by use of the wrong cultivation systems, habitats can be decimated beyond recovery through deforestation and the wholesale removal of hedgerows for example, and some rare species rich meadows, in the uplands have been ‘sanitised’ through the use of the now ubiquitous, big bale silage.
Keeping soil productive
Maintaining a sound structure is fundamental to the performance of the soil’s biological, nutrient and water systems that support plant growth. It is also a key factor in preventing soil loss through erosion that goes on to contaminate water courses. Engineers contribute through the design of implements and cultivation systems that optimise disturbance, work rates and power requirements. This is combined with the development of traction/traffic systems that minimise the risks of compaction inherent in heavier, high capacity machines. The so called ‘min till’ cultivation systems, better tine design, controlled traffic systems, low ground pressure tyres and high speed tracks are examples of such developments. All underpinned by effective drainage systems.
Improving capacity and efficiency
Large machines with high work rates epitomise modern farm mechanisation. These are aimed at more than labour reduction per se. Timely operations, matched to weather and soil conditions aid crop performance, improve the effectiveness of pest control, reduce harvest losses and lead to higher quality crops, Trends towards higher levels of automation in the dairy sector in particular, release time from repetitive tasks, simplify routines and provide essential management information.
Making better use of water
The availability of water is becoming one of the big issues. Land is used for collection and storage. Some crops require irrigation for economic production. The avoidance of contamination and pollution is driving legislation and practice. Many of the techniques for land management outlined in this paper will contribute directly and indirectly. Pressures on improving irrigation efficiency in other climates will result in techniques that will be increasingly applicable to the UK
Preventing pollution and optimising production
As land use becomes more intense, both rural and urban, and the ‘receiving media’ – air, soil and water – become more scarce and sensitive, pollution control and mitigation is essential. Land based engineering contributes to each stage of the ‘Reduce – Reuse - Recycle’ challenge. Waste, water and compost treatment systems, soil incorporation techniques, biomass ‘fuelled’ energy systems and may be the future production and use of biochar are in this category.
Avoiding waste through the chain
Unacceptable levels of wastage occur beyond harvest, much from retail to the point of use. Deterioration and loss of produce can be contained during storage and transit through good design and management. This requires an understanding of the characteristics of the pests and diseases that cause deterioration of particular produce to be linked to the practical application of the principles of thermodynamics, airflow, psychrometrics, gaseous exchange and control systems. Sensitive handling and intelligent grading systems complete the package.
Making better decisions
More cost effective ground positioning systems that pin point locations and guide field operations have enabled a whole raft of technologies based on field mapping known generically as ‘precision’ farming. These have tended to be focused on combinable crops. Variable application systems that are informed by map based data relating to crop potential and requirements are used to optimise inputs at less than field scale. In crops where individual plants are more widely spaced there is scope for even more precision with plant scale treatments using light weight robots. The next generation of this concept will use new sensing technologies to acquire and integrate yet more data streams, in real time and as ‘background’ both to control in-field operations and support land management decisions. The initial focus will be on the complex of soil parameters but the ultimate inclusion of sensors for other relevant biological processes offers even higher levels of control and optimisation.
Helping shared use
The multiple use of land is likely to become more prevalent set against integrated land management plans. Integrating the needs of urban populations and providing for biodiversity will be more important. Facilitating access and amenity without damage, providing durable footpaths and assisting vegetation and water management to provide varied habitats alongside production will all benefit from the expertise of agricultural engineers.
There is an array of fascinating and urgent problems ahead to be solved for the benefit of mankind and nature. This will require the interaction of many forms of expertise and knowledge.
Only the best brains, working together, will do.
LANDWARDS 2009 was convened by IAgrE in association with the Institute of Agricultural Management and the Royal Agricultural College
