Organic Centre Wales (OCW) has published a guide to help farmers reduce their carbon footprint. The guide, produced as part the OCW project Better Organic Business Links, lists the calculators available to farmers and helps them select the one that’s best for them.
The Farmers Guide To Carbon Footprint Calculators is an easily digestible four page summary which explains how the calculators work, what they are used for and how they differ from one another. It helps farmers choose the right calculator for their system or situation. It achieves this by highlighting the issues a famer needs to consider and summarising the characteristics of calculators in an easy to use matrix.
Tony Little, OCW Field Officer and one of the authors of the guide said “The importance of measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of farms is now widely understood and there are several calculators that farmers can use. But they are all slightly different and potentially give very different answers to what is fundamentally the same question. This guide helps farmers to know which calculator is best for them, and to interpret the results correctly.”
He added: “Although the work was carried out with organic producers in mind, the guide has much wider relevance. Issues of particular relevance to organic farmers include the need for a wide range of fertility building crop options and the inter-dependence of farm enterprises, but this information is relevant to anyone with an interest in carbon footprinting. I hope people will find this a useful resource and that it encourages more people to take an important step towards tackling climate change”.
The guide will support a range of workshops and discussion group meetings organised by both Organic Centre Wales and Canolfan Hinsawdd Cymru.
You can find links to download the farmer’s guide and the full report on the Organic Centre Wales website, www.organiccentrewales.org.uk, under Publications and News, or contact Tony Little on 01970 621632.
