Convert half of UK farms into woodland, says top scientist

Half of the nation’s farmland needs to be transformed into woodlands and natural habitat to fight the climate crisis and restore wildlife, according to a former chief scientific adviser to the UK government. Prof Sir Ian Boyd said such a change could mean the amount of cattle and sheep would fall by 90%, with farmers instead being paid for storing carbon dioxide, helping prevent floods and providing beautiful landscapes where people could boost their health and wellbeing. Boyd, who became vegetarian during his time in Defra, said farmers were potentially “sitting on a goldmine” in terms of the payments they could receive for growing trees and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. You can tick an immense number of boxes simultaneously.” Farmers argue that uplands and pasture where livestock are reared cannot be used to grow crops. Boyd said: “I know there are big companies looking at how to really scale this up.” A series of studies have concluded that people in rich nations need to eat much less meat to tackle the climate emergency and improve their health. “The public are subsidising the production of livestock to produce huge environmental damages, all the way from greenhouse gasemissions to water pollution. Instead, the NFU said 75% of the UK’s agricultural emissions could be offset by growing plant fuel for power stations and then capturing and burying thecarbon dioxide. Responding to Boyd’s proposal, Guy Smith, the NFU’s deputy president, said: “Urgent action is needed to tackle the climate emergency.