The Farm Carbon Toolkit was created by farmers for farmers. For over a decade, we’ve worked to further the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. We provide tools and services to measure impact and run projects with farmers that inspire action on the ground.

Our vision is a farming sector that minimises its carbon emissions and maximises its carbon sequestration, whilst producing quality food and a wide range of public goods, all produced by resilient and profitable farm businesses. Some people call this vision a regenerative farming future.

 

What We Do

Alongside our free Farm Carbon Calculator and Toolkit for farmers, we run an annual Soil Farmer of the Year competition and various projects covering:

  • Peer-to-peer training and learning events on whole-farm and soil carbon footprinting;
  • Farmer outreach and support projects;
  • Bespoke advice and action planning with farmers, landowners and companies, centred around measuring and improving soil health, greenhouse gas emissions and other ecosystem services;
  • Partnerships with research institutions to further our understanding of soil carbon sequestration and best practice protocols for measurement, reporting and verification.

Who we work with

We work with a range of organisations, large and small, delivering training and advice. Some recent clients and funders include: ABP, Agritech, EU, Duchy of Cornwall, Esmee Fairbairn, Interago, Lloyds Bank, Interreg, RBOrganic, RSA, RSPB, Savills, Soil Association, Wine GB and Yeo Valley Organic.

Our History and How We’re Organised

We are a Community Interest Company, run by a small, dedicated, team of staff and Directors.

We started in 2009 as a vehicle for farmers to connect with other farmers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. At the time, there was no farmer-led organisation providing practical support for farmers on the subject of climate change – or providing a clear farmer-informed platform on the importance and urgency to tackle climate change.

Since then, we’ve helped to inform and enable farmers to improve their environmental impacts, increase farm energy resilience and future proof their business.

Our Approach

Despite the rapid rise of interest in farm and soil carbon, it is still a complex and emerging topic for farmers and organisations to understand and navigate; especially when shifting management practices, and assessing the impact on the wider business as well as the carbon performance.

We pride ourselves on being an organisation that is run by farmers for farmers. In every project we do, we make it our mission to:

  • Provide a practical, scientifically robust and accurate approach.
  • Produce guidance and other outputs that are high-quality, accessible and easy-to-understand.
  • Stay focused and committed to supporting farmers to understand and take action on their greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Work collaboratively and creatively with others, striving for clear and consistent communication in our projects.
  • Aim for the highest levels of accuracy and integrity in our work. We carry out our research and analysis in an objective and impartial way; giving a fair and balanced report of our findings.

Related Organisations

Connected Content

In 2015, the UK pledged to be Net Zero by 2050, with the NFU striving for the more ambitious target of 2040. Net Zero is achieved when the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted is balanced with those removed from the atmosphere. This helps to combat climate change and reduce global warming.

Nitrogen Efficient Plants for Climate Smart Arable Cropping Systems (NCS) is a four-year £5.9M ambitious research programme involving 200 UK farms and 18 partners. The project is funded by the Defra Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK. The consortium of UK companies, research institutes and farmer networks, led by PGRO, aims to bring about a reduction of 1.5Mt CO₂e per annum or 54% of the maximum potential for UK Agriculture. This will be achieved by increasing pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK (currently 5%). In addition, 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock rations will be replaced with home-grown feeds.  Both of these ambitious aims will be steered by science and proven by real farm enterprises, with significant benefits for both crop and livestock productivity, including cost savings of over £1bn/yr.

The number of tools and calculators available can be daunting. None are necessarily right or wrong, the appropriate tool for you depends on the question you are asking.

Farmers taking part in and getting paid for on-farm trials as part of the NCS Project.

Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, Countryside COP will once again be held in October to allow the rural community to come together and showcase the opportunities available and the contribution already being made to reach Net Zero. 

Many of the most telling innovations that make a difference on-farm come from farmers themselves, or from close collaboration between farmers, advisors, industry and researchers

Farmers Weekly article by Mike Abram exploring four carbon calculators

An event to discuss how will we secure the plant varieties needed for more sustainable UK agriculture How will we secure the plant varieties needed for a more sustainable and resilient UK agriculture? Can the plant breeding community rise to the challenge, and what is needed to achieve this?

Climate change threatens our ability to ensure global food security, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. In 2016, 31 percent of global emissions originating from human activity came from agrifood systems.

Dairy farmers in the south west of England are exploring whether they can improve soil whilst maintaining forage quality when adopting longer resting periods after defoliation.

Agroforestry has the power to improve biodiversity and soil health, cut carbon emissions and produce healthy nutritious food and sustainable timber. Do you want to create resilient and productive farm and food systems? ​Then this show is for you. The Agroforestry Show is the first of its kind aimed at bringing together farmers, foresters, tree surgeons, growers, graziers, advisors, funders, food businesses and agroforesters!

This page is designed to give information to PulsePEP community members on using the Farm Carbon Calculator from Farm Carbon Toolkit for carbon emission baselining as part of the Nitrogen Climate Smart Project.

Though peas and beans have long been a trusted part of cropping rotations, it is perhaps only recently that the scope and value of their potential is being realised.

Farmers working with scientists to achieve the best from pulse crops and reduce their carbon emissions.

Certain crops (potatoes, sugar beet, maize, field vegetables) within a wider arable rotation pose increased risk of soil loss or degradation. Often described as ‘risky’ these crops may require additional management to ensure that field conditions are favourable and that there is no long-term disruption to soil functionality or structure.

Farm Carbon Toolkit Presentation slides developed to share with educators who lead agriculture degree courses at the AUC Educators Retreat 2023.

Improving soils by building soil organic matter is a win, win situation for everyone.

Cover crops are usually planted within arable rotations between cash crops. They provide a multitude of benefits including building soil fertility, improving soil health and enhancing above and below ground biodiversity.  They provide a multitude of benefits including building soil fertility, improving soil health and enhancing above and below ground biodiversity.  

In the face of rising fertiliser prices and environmental concerns, it is crucial to optimise nitrogen use efficiency, NUE, in agriculture. 

Biodiverse farming; making agro-ecology work for farmers, public and animal health and the environment

Workshops for PulsePEP community members on using the Farm Carbon Calculator from Farm Carbon Toolkit for carbon emission baselining as part of the Nitrogen Climate Smart Project.

We are delighted to be able to invite you to attend this Farm Walk to hear from the team at Lockerley Estate about how they are working to reduce farm-based emissions whilst storing more carbon into soils and non-crop biomass.

An opportunity to dig into how adopting more regenerative farming practices will affect your farm business”

If you have signed up to PulsePEP, make sure to join the FREE @FarmCO2Toolkit online drop in sessions to help you to establish your carbon baseline. For more information on PulsePEP, follow this link. To sign up to PulsePEP, follow this link.

A day for farmers by farmers sharing experiences for improving performance and resilience in a challenging environment.  

The event will be hosted by FNZ Monitor Farmers, Matt and Pip Smith. The day will cover a range of topics to increase the profitability and environmental sustainability of sheep production.