Roadmap aims to offer sustainable farming with profitability
Professional Services 18/10/2024 Callum Hoffman

A roadmap outlining how producers can profit from more sustainable farming methods has been unveiled in two landmark reports.
The reports – a joint initiative by Lloyds Bank and the Soil Association – detail the framework needed for a sustainable UK farming industry and set out a comprehensive environmental baseline for UK farmers.
Involving 685 farms in total, across the country, Soil Association Exchange worked with 12 industry partners to be able to assess nearly 240,000 hectares of UK farmland in this first-of-its-kind assessment.
As lead partner, the Lloyds Banking Group is the largest financier of UK agriculture. It funded more than 550 farmers to be involved in the ground-breaking Soil Association Exchange environmental baselining study.
Goals in tandem
The two reports provide a roadmap to improve soil health, reduce carbon emissions, and support biodiversity. In doing so, they outline a pathway for the UK agricultural industry to achieve sustainability and profitability in tandem.
Soil Association Exchange chief executive Joseph Gridley said the goal was to give farmers the tools to improve their businesses, communities and the environment while producing high quality, nutritious food.
“Farmers are on the frontline of climate change and biodiversity loss, but they are also key to the solution. Every farm is different, so support is essential to help farmers navigate the complexities of sustainable farming.
Mr Gridley said there was a clear need for farmers to measure their environmental credentials at scale. Using a common methodology provided a route to achieve this and addressed the risk of inaction and scepticism in collating data.
“Our approach also offers farmers confidence to make informed decisions – balancing environmental sustainability with profitability, ensuring farmers have the tools and guidance they need to access the funding needed to support their transition.”
Ambition
Lloyds Bank head of agriculture Lee Reeves described the partnership with Soil Association Exchange as the most ambitious of its kind, focusing on a holistic view of farming’s environmental impact.
Mr Reeves added: “Our reports showcase the opportunity to deliver actionable insights that help farmers improve practices to become more resilient, while also securing long-term profit.
Sustainable farming was not just about reducing environmental impact, said Mr Reeves.
“It’s about securing the future of the entire UK farming and food supply chain. Farmers need consistent support, reliable data, and financial incentives to make this transition successful.”
The reports set out a clear, data-driven pathway towards sustainable farming that could be adopted more widely, giving UK farmers the confidence to thrive long-term, both economically and environmentally, said Mr Reeves.
“To further address the challenges identified a new cross-supply chain model is being piloted to reward farmers for sustainable practices, a scheme which also forms part of the 10-year partnership.
With a working name of ‘Exchange Market’, the pilot will pool funding from a range of supply chain businesses, making payments to farmers over sustained periods to support them in transitioning to more sustainable practices.
Environmental outcomes will be monitored and verified using the Soil Association Exchange platform, allowing those supply chain partners to evidence impact and progress towards Scope 3 reductions.
Soil Association Exchange baseline audit
Farmers have long needed a standard method to measure their environmental impact – and the Soil Assocation Exchange roadmap sets out to provide this.
The environmental impact of farms was assessed across six different areas; soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare, water, carbon and social impact – in a way which can be used across the industry.
Advisers will be able to use the data to create bespoke farm action plans for implementing more sustainable practices and for accessing new funding streams, supporting the transition to more sustainable farming.
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