Abstract

The global agri-food sector is responsible for c.30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (13.7Gt CO2e pa1) and 60% of lost nature around the world 2. However, Lapwing believes there is a better way. To hit Net Zero, carbon emissions from every sector of the economy need to be abated and carbon sequestration implemented to remove both past and difficult to remove emissions whilst protecting our precious natural environment. Lapwing has developed “Reverse Coal”, which both sequesters and abates significant quantities of carbon, and also produces food with measurable positive environmental and social impact:

• Carbon sequestered and secured in a concentrated permanent store
• Scaled abatement of emissions from lowland peat
• Biodiversity enhanced
• Water quality improvements
• Flood alleviation protecting communities
• Resilient production of healthy food, adapted to accommodate future climate change
• High skilled full-time jobs replacing zero hours seasonal contracts

Reverse Coal was born out of a necessity to develop a transition plan for Pollybell Farms (farming operator of The Lapwing Estate) to ensure food production could continue into the future without having an irreversible, negative impact on the environment but rather a positive one. Lapwing and Pollybell Farms have received recognition from the Rt Hon George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for our innovative land management techniques addressing climate change:

“For some [climate change] will mean maximising food production from the most productive soils, but in new ways such as Pollybell Farms, which covers 5,000 acres straddling Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and has been developing a totally new way of addressing their low-lying peat land to ensure both resilience and environmental benefit. Many of the country’s leading producers of fresh produce on our grade one fen soils are starting to think creatively about how they can manage their most valuable asset in a more sustainable way.”

In addition, Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s Climate Change Committee has stated:

“Land use is going to change very urgently if we are going to meet our climate change demands. This is the time for radical change, close to revolution”