Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) will set out their Environmental Baselining Pilot, which will aim to measure the environmental impact of Scottish and wider UK farms.
The seminar will take place on Wednesday 13th November from 2.15pm to 3.15pm in Seminar Room 1 at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, with attendees encouraged to attend to learn more about this project and hear from participating farms.
Described by QMS as an “industry-first initiative”, the Environmental Baselining Pilot will aim to measure the positive environmental impact of Scottish farms and those across the UK. By collecting data on greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, water runoff and carbon storage, the pilot will aim to provide farmers with insights to better understand the “integrity and value of their individual environmental efforts”.
Bruce McConachie, head of industry development at QMS, commented: “Our Environmental Baselining Pilot will collaborate with the scientific community and producers to enhance our understanding of how farms can deliver environmental benefits alongside productive and profitable operations. We are excited to showcase some of the farms involved and discuss the implications for the future of Scottish agriculture.”
The seminar will feature Bruce McConachie from QMS, farmers involved in the pilot, and Delyth Lewis-Jones, AHDB head of environment. Attendees can expect discussions about the pilot’s components, objectives, and participating farms.
Delyth Lewis-Jones added: “This pilot promises more than just empowering individual farmers with their own unique data. It also offers the whole industry the opportunity to demonstrate how it delivers both food and environmental goods, the scale and potential of natural carbon stocks and the industry’s position and progress to net zero. With the goal to inform a more informed debate about UK agriculture and its role in National environmental sustainability.”
In addition to the seminar, QMS will invite attendees to visit them during AgriScot at stand 84, Highland Hall for further discussions on innovative projects, including the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day Campaign and the Monitor Farm Programme. Visitors can also look forward to an interactive beef demonstration on ’Calving at Two Years’, scheduled for 11.30am to 12.00pm in the main ring.
