December 2, 2021

Livestock numbers should match natural carrying capacity, says UK expert

UK farmers may have to reduce the number of animals they keep because of the critical state of some river catchments, pollution expert Tim Bailey of the UK Environment Agency has said, The Guardian reported.

Bailey said the state of catchments such as the River Wye and the Somerset Levels and Moors had become critical because of the high number of chickens and dairy cows and the problem of manure discharge.

According to government data, farming contributes most to water pollution and ammonia emissions into the atmosphere. It also makes up 25% of phosphate, 50% of nitrate and 75% of sediment loadings in the water environment.

Just three counties — Herefordshire, Shropshire and Powys — produce more than 250 million head of chickens per year, a capacity which has doubled in the past decade.

Bailey said livestock numbers needed to match the carrying capacity of the area, rather than the current overconcentration in some areas. "We have to start fitting livestock into the environment. That way we are not stressing the environment so that it can’t cope."

He also said that in some instances it will be necessary to reduce and restrict livestock production, or the treatment and export of organic manures.

Other solutions include a combination of regulation, advice and financial support for farmers, Bailey said. "This is not a farmer problem, it's a societal problem. Farmers want to get to the same place, but are trapped in a cheap food economy. If society wants a clean River Wye or to stop Amazon deforestation, then it has to take responsibility."