An exclusive report prepared for Farmer by Lloyds Banking Group’s Ambassador for the North, Elyn Corfield

THE climate emergency is here. And though the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow has ended, all of us have a contribution to make if we’re going to meet the looming net zero deadline.

Operating in the most sustainable way is a major driver for growth, impacting every sector. This includes agriculture. UK farmers are already responsible for some of the highest quality food in the world, and it’s vital that they’re producing this in a way that consumers want and expect.

But like many, the sector has faced serious challenges over the years.

From foot-and-mouth disease to the Covid-19 pandemic and outbreaks of bird flu, UK agriculture continues to encounter significant headwinds. And now, feeding a growing population, retaining employees and protecting the environment are three more challenges farmers are facing.

Cumbrian farming alone employs more than 12,000 people while the county also houses almost five percent of England’s farm holdings. It even has the second-largest dairy herd in the UK, producing 900 million litres of milk each year.

With powerful stats like this, it’s vital that the Cumbrian farming community address the need for even greener solutions to operations if it’s going to achieve long-term success.

This is why we recently held a discussion around creating a greener, more prosperous future here in Cumbria.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron and Barrow and Furness MP, Simon Fell, joined some of Lloyds Bank’s local agriculture team, including Judith Hunter and Danny Brooks alongside farmers who have worked on the land here in Cumbria for generations.

One of the major themes that emerged was around how working collaboratively – from those in positions that impact policy, to the farmers and their employees – will help farming businesses operate more sustainably.

It was great to hear so many of the farmers explain how they’re already working to limit carbon emissions. One example was the work they’ve done to manage protein levels in feed when producing raw milk which has resulted in the UK’s carbon emissions being less than half of the global average.

And the stories of how businesses we’ve worked with are adapting to reduce their environmental impact and at the same time, increase efficiencies were particularly heartening. We’ve been helping rural firms operate more sustainably, with 14 different farming businesses using our Clean Growth Funding Initiative (CFGI) over the past year alone.

CGFI provides discounted lending to firms that introduce sustainable measures. For example, many farms across the North West have introduced improved machinery and equipment to increase efficiency, adopted new renewable energy sources and implemented more efficient water management systems. These are all steps in creating a greener way of operating for a sector that produces 64% of the food eaten in the UK***.

But despite the efforts made so far, more needs to be done for farming to reach net zero by 2040. If we continue to work together, we’re certain that the industry will continue to do all it can to reduce its carbon footprint, from introducing sustainable changes like those mentioned above to investing direct payments into diversifying into tourism and hospitality.

The past 18 months have been challenging for everyone, but farmers have grown used to tough times and continue to demonstrate their resilience. We’ll continue to work with the industry as we transition to a greener way of working.