The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has launched the first programme of its kind in England to support farmers towards a more sustainable future.
More than 30 farms have signed up to take part, spread across the region from Harrogate to Richmond and from the Yorkshire Dales to the Yorkshire coast.
The initiative, which is the only one led by a public body in England, identifies practical ways to reduce emissions, support nature and build long-term farm resilience
There are four tests available, including a comprehensive energy audit, renewables feasibility assessment, a biodiversity net gain assessment and soil carbon testing.
By taking part, farmers will protect their farms in the face of rising energy costs and help drive forward the region’s ambitions to become carbon negative by 2040.
On a visit to a dairy farm in the North York Moors, Mayor David Skaith met with the organisations leading on the programme including NFU Energy and Grow Yorkshire to understand its impact and how it could be expanded in the future.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
"York and North Yorkshire’s farmers already lead the way in many aspects. We have high standards of food production and we’re also ambitious on the environment.
"With more than 70% of our area used for agriculture, farming has a big part to play in our ambition to become carbon negative by 2040.
"But we also understand the financial pressures that farmers are facing today. So, this initiative offers cost savings with environmental benefits.
“By partnering with NFU Energy, we are helping farmers improve their productivity and efficiency by working with them to embrace low carbon technology and natural resources to create more resilient, sustainable food supply chains.”
North Yorkshire Council has provided £150,000 in funding for the programme through the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Councillor Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council and chair of the Shared Prosperity Fund Local Partnership Group, said
“Our farm decarbonisation initiative is giving farms a unique opportunity to help with our goal to become a carbon negative county by 2040 – reducing emissions in all sectors, including agriculture, is vital.
“This scheme is a great start for this as it sees 30 of our North Yorkshire farms receive fully funded assessments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving their efficiency.”
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