Corteva Agriscience has announced that it is working with a regenerative farming organisation to offset carbon emissions from its UK and Ireland operations. The agriculture company is investing to offset 100 tonnes of carbon with Gentle Farming, a collaboration of UK farms.
The move is aligned to Corteva’s global sustainability pledges – a set of 14 goals to achieve by 2030 that will increase the toughness of global farming systems. It comes after the company published its first annual sustainability report and announced a climate strategy with a commitment to set science-based targets for its greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
William Corrigan, Corteva Agriscience UK & Ireland Country Leader, said: “We have a leading role to play in supporting the agricultural industry to become more productive, sustainable and profitable, while also accounting for our own operations.
“Corteva Agriscience has a robust, ambitious plan for how it intends to help food systems become more resilient by adopting more sustainable practices. This is a goal we have been committed to for a long time.”
Gentle Farming
Gentle Farming is an umbrella organisation which brings together UK farms to improve soil, water and biodiversity. The businesses offer certified carbon offsets which can be measured and validated.
Thomas Gent, founder of Gentle Farming, said the organisation enables farmers to measure and market the amount of soil carbon they are capturing in their soils each year.
“Gentle Farming is the first UK organisation to offer certified soil carbon offsets to help farmers transition towards more regenerative practices and support a more sustainable net zero farming system,” Mr Gent said.
“Our mission is to reward and recognise the farmers who have already embraced regenerative farming practices and support those who want to work towards such practices in the future.”
Mr Gent is the fourth generation at his family farm in South Lincolnshire, who have been farming this way for past 12 years. During the COVID-19 lockdown last year, he decided to try to find a way to measure the carbon they were putting in the land.
“I’ve spent the past year learning a lot,” he added. “Now we have a system that works with 35 farmers on board and more joining us every day.
“We’re excited that Corteva Agriscience is investing to offset 100 tonnes of carbon. By putting such resources into the hands of those farmers striving to farm their land regeneratively, the industry and planet as a whole will see the benefits of improving soil health.”
Climate Positive Agriculture
Corteva Agriscience has also pledged its commitment to Climate Positive Agriculture, reducing greenhouse gases while nourishing the soil and protecting the water but without sacrificing on-farm productivity or profitability.
The company is further working to make farms fit for the future through the Resilient and Ready programme with Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF), which provides farmers in England and Scotland with training, technical support and mentoring to help them adopt more sustainable practices.
Mr Corrigan added: “This flagship programme of practical and professional improvement is a prime example of how Corteva Agriscience UK & Ireland can bring these global goals to life at country level. We look forward to sharing more news on our sustainability programme in the near future as we move to a more resilient future.”
