NEARLY 40 per cent of Brits incorrectly believe farming is a major cause of climate change.

A survey commissioned by #FarmingCan revealed two thirds of consumers are concerned about climate change, with four in ten believing that agriculture is a major cause of the problem. One in four felt farmers have more responsibility to cut emissions than food companies or supermarkets. This is despite the fact that UK farming is tackling climate change with a self-imposed target of becoming net zero by 2040.

More than half of those surveyed admitted they did not know enough about the steps that farmers were taking to mitigate climate change. Now a new social media campaign is helping them do just that, highlighting how farmers are part of the climate change solution, rather than the problem.

The survey also revealed consumers admit they need to do more themselves to help tackle the climate change problem. More than half said they were already trying to buy British grown food, and four in ten said they would be prepared to pay more for food which is proven to have a low carbon footprint. A similar number (37 per cent} said they were already buying less meat to try and help mitigate climate change.

But the #FarmingCan campaign explains this is not the answer. Ben Briggs, Farmers Guardian editor, said: “British farming is one of the most sustainable in the world, with the greenhouse gas footprint of UK beef production half that of the global average, while UK milk production is just 40 per cent of the global average.

“When operating in an increasingly global marketplace the challenge for UK agriculture is to communicate its sustainability credentials to a wider audience and use it as a selling point. Via initiatives such as #FarmingCan we have a great opportunity to shout about the positive impact UK farming can have and why it compares so favourably to other nations.”

British farmers are helping to combat climate change in a number of ways. They include adjusting livestock feeding regimes to reduce methane emissions; delivering

nutrients to crops more efficiently to improve plant health and reduce inputs; managing hedgerows, verges, headlands and wildlife corridors to improve biodiversity and habitats; planting trees on unprofitable land to help sequester carbon; water recycling schemes; using wind and solar alongside productive agriculture; seeking out alternatives to red diesel such as vegetable oil (HVO); and diversifying into non-food crops, such as Miscanthus, for bioenergy.