The Road Map for Land Use

The challenges and opportunities facing Agriculture and Land Use are intertwined. It is likely that future policy will be structured to optimise the combination of land and agricultural activities to shift agri-food production and land use towards climate neutrality.

"Forestry will play a crucial role in the journey to climate neutrality"

There is a lot of uncertainty about sequestration by agricultural land and especially emissions from drained peat grasslands, as well as the future levels of afforestation. The National Agricultural Soil Carbon Observatory has been established to reduce this uncertainty. Also, the current effectiveness of drains in peat grasslands is unclear, but at this point, it is likely that some land use change (for example water table management/rewetting of some drained peat
soils and increased biomass and woodland production using agricultural land) will be required. Forestry will play a crucial role in the journey to climate neutrality. The announcement of a new Forestry Programme with significant increased grants proposed is important.

Significant work will be required to understand and plan future optimal land use strategies.