Root Revival
ROOTS
REVIVAL
WHY REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE?
UK agriculture faces environmental challenges, including soil health decline, flood risks, biodiversity loss, and the impacts of climate change. Today, agriculture contributes to a large proportion of worldwide CO2 emissions, but this doesn’t have to be the case. We believe there's an opportunity for change. Healthy soil, healthy planet.
We partner with farmers to measure and reward soil health improvements. We work alongside Soil Capital, who measure C02 emissions on farm and track improvements in the soil. By incentivising regenerative practices, we reduce carbon emissions, increase biodiversity and offer brewers malting barley with a lower environmental impact.
REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
WHICH TECHNIQUES ARE USED?
COVER CROPS
Cover cropping is the practice of growing plants between main crops to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and enhance nutrient cycling. Benefits include increased organic matter, improved soil structure, and reduced reliance on synthetic inputs like fertilisers and herbicides. Carbon sequestration occurs by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil as organic matter.
MINIMAL TILLAGE
Minimal tillage is a practice that involves disturbing the soil as little as possible before planting. This is done to preserve soil structure, reduce erosion, and improve soil health. In contrast, traditional tillage involves deeply turning the soil, often with a plough, to prepare the seedbed. Traditional tillage can disrupt the soil structure, leading to the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere. When soil is disturbed, organic matter is exposed to oxygen, which can accelerate its decomposition. This process releases carbon dioxide into the air.
ORGANIC FERTILISERS & ACCURATE DOSAGE
Traditional fertilisers are often produced using fossil fuels, which contributes significantly to their carbon footprint. The production process, transportation, and application of these fertilisers release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Organic fertilisers, on the other hand, are derived from natural sources like plant and animal waste. They have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional fertilisers. Development in farm management technology also allows farmers to accurately dose fields with specific needs.
HOW CAN YOU PROVE THE BARLEY IS LOW CARBON?
The CO2 emissions of each farm are measured for each crop year by our agronomy partner, Soil Capital. The emissions data is then verified and audited by KPMG annually. Using this data, we’re able to accurately determine our CO2 footprint per tonne of barley delivered to our maltings.
