Did you know that agriculture is responsible for 9% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions in the UK? Together with related emissions from changing land use and cutting down forests, it accounts for around 30% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. BUT research by the The Soil Association shows that if Europe’s farmland all followed organic principles, agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% by 2050. What is it about organic practices that means they pump out so much less carbon?
In the first part of this episode, Jen is joined by Anna de la Vega from The Urban Worm who shares her knowledge about soil health, why it’s so vital to the planet, why modern agriculture is so bad for it, and how organic systems can help to replenish it.
In the second part, Tim Mead, dairy farmer and owner of Yeo Valley, talks about how organic and regenerative agriculture works in practice on their farm and what they’ve achieved in terms of reducing their carbon footprint.
Click on the picture below to hear both chats and expand your knowledge!
About Jen
Jen is an ordinary, knackered mum of two whose life changed when she dragged and cajoled the family into a year buying nothing new. That year changed not only what she buys, but also how she sees her place in the world. Jen recognised the power that we all have as individuals to make a difference to the things we care about, simply through getting informed about the impact of our daily choices, and figuring out easy swaps and changes. The family are still (just about) talking to her and they live in Wiltshire where Jen writes and podcasts about all things Sustainable(ish). She is the author of two books: The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide (out now) and The Sustainable(ish) Guide to Green Parenting (out March 2021).