The Future of Farming in the Fens

The fenlands that make up much of the East of England are rich in ecological, social, cultural, and economic value. They are closely linked to farming; fenland has provided rich peaty soils allowing farming to thrive, and this farming has in turn shaped the fens. The agricultural landscape we recognise today is characterised by drainage and irrigation and provides some of the most productive farmland in the UK. In fact, fenland agriculture supports a food chain worth £3bn and employs 80,000 workers1. However, the future of the fens is uncertain. Increased flood risk due to climate change threatens the profitability of agriculture and therefore our food security. Meanwhile, the consequences of hundreds of years of intensive land management is threatening soil health and the integrity of fenland ecosystems.

The fenlands have a vital role to play in the UK's journey to net zero. Lowland peat areas such as the fens make up 14% of peatland area in the UK but are responsible for 56% of peat emissions. This is because intensive farming and drainage have reduced the soil's capacity for carbon storage2. Can fenland farmers use their land to contribute to climate solutions, whilst maintaining profits and protecting the food security of the country?

Some studies have found evidence suggesting that win-win scenarios are possible. For example, one study found that reducing the average water table by 10cm in the UK and Ireland could decrease the net warming impact of carbon dioxide and methane by the equivalent of 3 tonnes of CO2 per hectare3. One study in the Netherlands involved installing submerged drains at 4-6m intervals, which increased infiltration of ditch water into the ground4. The study found that the water table depth could be halved in this way without sacrificing intensive land use for agriculture. However, with flooding already a problem for farmers in Lincolnshire, many will be unwilling to risk reducing water table depth due to the risk of flooding their neighbours' farmland as well as their own.

To key players in conservation, the increasing impacts of flooding and focus on peat recovery are seen as an opportunity for habitat creation. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is working with fenland farmers to promote habitat creation and carbon storage through re-wetting. This allows certain areas of farmland to return to their natural waterlogged state which creates important wetland habitats and begins the peat reformation process. Whilst rewetting is an effective way to reduce CO2 emissions from peat, it results in land that is of close to no commercial value to farmers. This brings into question the future of farming in the fenlands.

Some farmers will find creative new ways to use the fenlands sustainably. Paludiculture is the productive use of rewetted peatland3. For example, harvesting cultivated biomass for biorefining, biomaterials or bioenergy. This combines habitat creation, carbon storage, and commercial use of the land. One farmer, James Brown, based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, plans to reduce the CO2 emissions of his farm by rewetting and planting wetland reeds. He can then harvest the biomass to power an indoor vertical farm and continue growing crops2. Innovative solutions like this show how farming can continue to find new and exciting ways to thrive as our environment changes.

It is evident that both the impacts and mitigation of climate change are causing shifts in land use. The future of the fenlands remains unclear. Will farmers find ways to adapt to the increasing risk of flooding? Or will policy push them in the direction of re-wetting to maximise carbon storage and wildlife? Let us know what you think by tweeting us @TomsonConsult.

Sources:

1 https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/environment/nfu-study-highlights-need-for-fens-flooding-protection

2 Toward Net Zero Report, April 2021, UCL & HSBC

3 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03523-1