Apply for a carbon audit to keep your dairy farm business resilient post-Brexit

These are difficult times for any farming business, faced with a changing market and a shift in consumer demand towards sustainable produce – farming businesses are having to work harder to maintain profitability, whilst also being environmentally responsible.

At a time where many sectors are facing great uncertainty, the UK dairy industry has a lot to offer; a climate suited to forage production; a strong record on animal health and welfare; excellent provenance and a reputation for food safety.[1]

To build on the strengths of the business and provide assurance to customers, now is a great time to review the business and identify if there are opportunities to adopt low-carbon farming practices and reduce emissions, all of which should improve efficiency and provide competitive advantage.

Through the Farm Advisory Service (FAS), farming business owners can apply for up to £500 worth of funding to commission an experienced agricultural adviser to carry out a full carbon audit of their business. (VAT is covered by the participating business).

As part of the audit, the adviser will:

• establish your carbon footprint,
• benchmark your performance against competitors,
• identify potential cost savings
• & where efficiency improvements can be made to improve competitive advantage.

Carbon audits are open to all farming and crofting businesses, provided that they are registered in Scotland with IACS.

*It is recommended that carbon audits are repeated annually to monitor performance and identify the impact of changes you make. Businesses are therefore eligible to receive one free carbon audit per year.

To apply for a carbon audit or for more information, please visit www.fas.scot/carbon-audits. Alternatively, call 0300 323 0161 or email advice@fas.scot