AgZero+ is an ambitious five-year research programme supporting the UK’s transition towards domestic food production that is sustainable, carbon-neutral and has a positive effect on nature. The programme brings together a community of researchers and farmers to evaluate innovative farming methods and to define practical pathways to achieving “net zero plus” arable and livestock farm systems.
Towards sustainable, climate-neutral farming systems
AgZero+ is aiming to:
- Define new pathways to achieving net zero through innovative UK farming systems which minimise trade-offs between agricultural productivity and the environment
- Establish a network of innovative study farms to undertake integrated monitoring of greenhouse gases in combination with observations of multiple agronomic and environmental outcomes.
- Consider the social and economic barriers to implementing net zero and sustainable farming practices.
- Provide the research community, policy makers and the farming industry with real-time, high-quality data, models, and tools to enable the transition to net zero plus agriculture
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Net zero plus
There is an urgent need for long-term, strategic research to help design new farming systems which will produce sufficient food whilst reducing emissions and pollution, protecting biodiversity, and enhancing soil health. We call this approach ‘net zero plus,’ as it balances the need for net zero emissions with wider environmental concerns.
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Providing data
The programme will provide data from national sensor networks, satellites and a network of commercial study farms and study catchments. These will be made available to the research community and other stakeholders through data portals and advanced digital tools to support environmental planning and management.