From theory to practice: industry events offer integrated approach to regenerative agriculture

With the need for sustainable food production, the concept of regenerative farming has emerged as a beacon of hope for developing a more ecologically positive and resilient food system. FAI Farm Director Karl Williams discusses why industry events are a good way to help farmers transition towards more positive food systems.

An increasing number of events, articles, books, podcasts and farmer conversations are centred on regenerative farming practices. While this is positive news, the challenge is to help farmers transition from an understanding of regenerative agriculture, to successfully putting theory into practice.

At FAI we partner with organisations to invest in research and development, collaborating with scientists and researchers to delve into the underlying principles of regenerative agriculture. And importantly we can put theory into action on our own farm near Oxford where we gather tangible data and practical experience to validate the theory. This relationship between theory and practice forms the backbone of our approach to regenerative farming.

And it’s the same approach we take with supply chain partners such as through the AMP grazing project and our Innovate UK-funded research with Dunbia on low carbon beef production. The learnings from our research to identify practical, scalable actions that can be implemented on farm are disseminated to their suppliers and other farmers.

This blending of theory and practice also explains why we’re keen to be involved in events where academics and farmers meet – such as Rootstock in Devon recently – or our own events hosted at the FAI farm.

Rootstock provides opportunity for attendees to hear from leading scientists in the realms of entomology, soil health and regenerative agriculture, but also farmers putting sustainable farming theory into action.

At this year’s event, Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Harper Adams University and expert in sustainable livestock systems began by setting the scene in a panel discussion on net zero.

Michael outlined the need to assess the environmental impact of all emissions associated with agriculture as a complete, interwoven system, rather than just the biogenic gases produced by animals. The tendency with livestock production is to focus on methane, but part of Michael’s argument was the need to look more closely at fossil fuels.

Moving the discussion from theory to practice, FAI’s farm manager, Silas Hedley-Lawrence provided practical insights gained from managing our beef suckler herd over the last four years within our AMP grazing project. He outlined how good grazing management, improvements in soil health, outwintering with bale grazing and supporting ecosystem processes have enhanced the farm’s resilience and cut the reliance on purchased inputs.

By using pasture more effectively via adaptive multi-paddock (AMP) grazing, average finishing times are around 22 to 24 months, cow fertility is maintained at over 90% and all while cattle are 100% pasture fed, outwintered and using minimal inputs.

This mix of academic thinking and insight into practical applications permeated throughout the Rootstock sessions on low input arable farming, thinking differently about routes to market and human capital. Overall, it was a positive event and good to see so many farmers asking plenty of searching questions.

And just a few days later we were able to share work being done with Dunbia into exploring opportunities to lower the carbon footprint of beef production using dairy-bred calves in a regenerative grazing system. Speaking to a mix of farmers and industry representatives, Silas and I shared some of the project’s findings.

We described what aspects we were measuring and where the opportunities for improvement lie, genetics and nutrition being important factors. We look forward to sharing more on this work after the project concludes in a few months.

As we navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing climate and growing food insecurity, this integrated approach of the theoretical and the practical is essential. At FAI we recognise to secure long-term, sustainable change within the farming sector we need to get the balance right, ensuring solutions are not just academically sound but achievable on farm and at scale. We hope by doing so we can not only transform farming practices on the ground but also contribute valuable insights to the broader scientific community.

To find out more about the AMP Grazing Project visit: https://shorturl.at/cvAF5

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