FARMING AT THE CROSSROADS Expert View
By Susan Haslem, Relationship Director at NatWest for Lancashire
March saw the launch of a new NatWest agriculture report, which outlines how the sector in the UK is at a turning point.
It faces a number of critical economic challenges, including higher costs, declining domestic production, supply chain issues, inflation and what many see as the daunting challenge of net zero.
The combination of these pressures is negatively impacting agricultural businesses across the UK and fundamentally threatens the resilience of our food production system.
What is pleasing to see in the report, is the wider value chain coming together to support the industry to weather the current storms and innovate for the future - and that the need for the sector to transition to net zero is a priority.
The transition is key for farming to continue to be productive, profitable and sustainable long into the future. It is not simply a challenge for farmers but in our collective national interest to take action.
covering an area similar in size to one and a half full-size football pitches, for the brewery. A planning application will be submitted following local consultation.
Luiz Brandao, Budweiser’s head of procurement and sustainability, says: “Sustainability is core to our business at Budweiser Brewing Group as we work towards net zero ambitions.
“Innovative solutions like hydrogen have huge potential for reducing our carbon footprint in the UK and moving us towards our ambitious sustainability goals.”
If approved the facility will be Protium’s third HPF in the UK and its second with Budweiser. It is also working on pioneering green hydrogen projects with businesses in other sectors where it has been previously difficult to reduce carbon emissions.
Protium describes itself as the “UK’s largest dedicated green hydrogen energy company”. It says its ambition is to develop 1GW of green hydrogen production assets in the UK by 2030.
Progress will take time, but a key takeaway is that the process of change requires a team sport approach, with the whole sector working in partnership.
As a bank, we have put climate at the heart of our purpose and it is our ambition to help finance the transition to a resilient, net zero, nature positive food system.
We will continue to lead by example, working with the SMI Agribusiness Task Force to understand how the risk and cost of transition, which currently all sits with the farmer, can be shared with food system players and government to scale finance into sustainable agriculture and make it more commercially attractive to farmers.
The industry is at a crossroads and partnership and knowledge sharing is key for future success.
To read the report visit
www.natwestgroup.com/news-and-insights/ latest-stories/
climate.html
Project team members
Chris Jackson, chief executive of Protium, says: “Samlesbury Net Zero is an investment in our environment, community, economy and our future.
“Working with the local community will be at the heart of this project.
“We want to use the local supply chain where possible and engage with the education and business communities to provide upskilling
opportunities for the region in green hydrogen energy production.
“Removing carbon emissions from sectors like manufacturing is one of the biggest challenges we face in reaching net zero.
Green hydrogen is the hugely exciting next step in global energy transition, happening right here in Lancashire, to drive down these emissions and futureproof our vital industries.”
Build a world that’ll last
130,000 new jobs, 30,000 new businesses, £160bn for the UK economy and a safer planet for everyone; that’s what net zero could bring.
To help get there, we are providing an extra £100bn of funding to sustainable projects by the end of 2025. Let’s tackle climate change together.
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