James Fanshawe: Reducing emissions from livestock

James Fanshawe hasn’t bought any fertiliser for six years. Instead, the nutrients on his 150-hectare beef and sheep farm in Northamptonshire come entirely from the manures produced by his animals. Not only is he making big cost savings, but by being efficient and making the best use of his resources, he’s also reducing greenhouse gas emissions from his farm, which contribute to climate change.

Livestock emissions, most of which is methane, account for 2.8% of the UK’s total emissions. Efficiency is at the heart of reducing this impact – farmers like James are working to ensure that their livestock are healthy and fertile, and are fed in a way that leads to good rates of liveweight gain.

James has selected breeds of cattle that are good converters of grass into protein, to reduce his reliance on cereals or concentrates. He is also using white clover in his grass leys to increase the feed quality – testing last year proved that it had a high protein content (16%) – which means animal performance is optimised off forage. He also ensures good grassland management to improve the yield and quality of his grass, and to protect and enhance the soil.

At the heart of James’ farming is the strategic use of resources. It's important to mention that it's not simply about fertiliser reduction.  James manages his grassland efficiently, keeps the most appropriate breeds for his land, and makes use of the resources that his livestock generate. And he makes sure he is still productive.* As a result, he is working towards a sustainable system – reducing his impact on the environment and saving money.

*Simply reducing fertiliser may not reduce GHG emissions as you may reduce productivity.  If you are calculating your emissions in product terms, they could go up.