By Jelke Brandenhof | 01.04.2022
Save the Date: The Eurosite Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation Working Group (ABCWG) is holding a webinar, ‘Nature Means Business,’ on Friday, May 13, from 10.00 to 11.30 am CET.
‘Nature Means Business’ is about how working with nature, instead of against it, is good for the profitability of farm business.
Against the backdrop of the current price explosions for fuel and fertilisers, which are putting massive pressure on farm accounts, and the emerging policy frameworks pushing for biodiversity- and climate-related transition in agriculture, the ‘nature means business’ webinar intends to show an opportunity: for farmers, for nature. Regenerate soil to a better condition, create and maintain wildlife habitat, expand the botanic diversity of permanent grasslands, plant trees and hedges, and restore the ecology of wetlands and watercourses: these will increase biodiversity on the farm but also clean up the water and bind carbon. By, among other benefits, boosting soil health and functions, improving farm hydrology, providing shade and more diverse food to grazing animals and using natural predators to tackle pests, they will also reduce the need for inputs like fertilisers, pesticides, veterinary medicines etc.; prevent soil loss through erosion, bolster the health and well-being of livestock; and so on. In short, better yields, better quality and lower costs.
Our three speakers are:
- Martin Lines (Nature-Friendly Farming Network),
- Clare Cannon (Woomargama Station), and
- Chris Clark (Nethergill Associates).
Martin will speak about how working with nature benefits both the financial and the environmental health of his arable farm in England. Clare will present the conservation work on her livestock farm in Australia, how it is being scientifically monitored and accredited, and how discerning high-end wholesale buyers and processors are rewarding her efforts. Chris will wrap up by explaining the economic theory (MSO, maximum sustainable output) behind ‘nature means business’ and how the idea is being verified in practice by a monitoring programme on 100 farms.
After that, there will be time for questions, answers, and debate. The open meeting will be moderated by the ABCWG chair Anton Gazenbeek.