Agricultural Land In England Research Articles

Impacts of post-Brexit agricultural policy on fruit and vegetable intake and cardiovascular disease

Abstract Background The post-Brexit agricultural regime represents an opportunity to positively influence food systems and improve public health. Health-improving measures could include expanding the UK production of fruits and vegetables (F&V), thus increasing F&V availability. Currently, only 1.4% of total agricultural land in England is allocated to F&V. This study aims to estimate the potential impacts of allocating additional land to F&V production on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and inequalities in England between 2021 and 2030. Methods We used the previously validated IMPACT Food Policy model to translate changes in land allocated to F&V into changes in F&V intake and associated CVD mortality, expressed in number of deaths prevented or postponed (DPPs) by age, sex, and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintile. We modelled two scenarios that assumed a linear increase in agricultural land allocated to F&V until it covers a) 10% and b) 20% of all land suitable for production of horticultural crops in England. We assumed that F&V prices would drop to a new equilibrium. We used Monte Carlo simulations to produce uncertainty intervals. Results Our model suggested that by 2030, F&V intake might increase by approximately 4% (95% Uncertainty Interval: 2%-7%) and 8% (4%-13%) respectively, under the first scenario. Under the second scenario, F&V intake could increase by approximately 17% (10%-29%) and 37% (26%-51%) respectively. These increases in F&V intake were associated with 3360 (1760-5920) CVD DPPs under the first scenario and 15700 (9000-24310) under the second scenario in 2021-2030. Our modelled scenarios could also reduce inequalities, with some 16% of DPPs occurring in the least deprived group compared with 22% in the most deprived. Conclusions Policymakers should consider the public health impacts of the post-Brexit agricultural regime in England. Increasing the land allocated to F&V production could substantially reduce the burden of CVD and associated inequalities. Key messages The post-Brexit agricultural policy can be an opportunity to improve diet and public health in the UK. Increasing the agricultural land allocated to fruit and vegetable production in England could reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease and associated inequalities.

Prioritising agri-environment options for greenhouse gas mitigation

PurposeThis paper aims to assess agri-environment (AE) scheme options on cultivated agricultural land in England for their impact on agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It considers both absolute emissions reduction and reduction incorporating yield decrease and potential production displacement. Similarities with Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) introduced in 2015 as part of the post-2014 Common Agricultural Policy reform, and their potential impact, are considered.Design/methodology/approachA life-cycle analysis approach derives GHG emissions for 18 key representative options. Meta-modelling is used to account for spatial environmental variables (annual precipitation, soil type and erosion risk), supplementing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodology.FindingsMost options achieve an absolute reduction in GHG emissions compared to an existing arable crop baseline but at the expense of removing land from production, risking production displacement. Soil and water protection options designed to reduce soil erosion and nitrate leaching decrease GHG emissions without loss of crop yield. Undersown spring cereals support decreased inputs and emissions per unit of crop yield. The most valuable AE options identified are included in the proposed EFAs, although lower priority is afforded to some.Practical implicationsRecommendations are made where applicable to modify option management prescriptions and to further reduce GHG emissions.Originality/valueThis research is relevant and of value to land managers and policy makers. A dichotomous key summarises AE option prioritisation and supports GHG mitigation on cultivated land in England. The results are also applicable to other European countries.

A software tool for estimating the capacity of agricultural land in England and Wales for recycling organic materials (ALOWANCE)

AbstractAgricultural Land and Organic ‘Waste’: A National Capacity Estimator (ALOWANCE) is a GIS‐based tool that estimates the available agricultural landbank in England and Wales for recycling organic materials based on a number of physical and practical constraints, and legislative restrictions. It can be used to identify areas where there is a potential shortage or surplus of available agricultural land and to determine the length of time for which the agricultural landbank would continue to be available to receive organic materials. Two versions of ALOWANCE have been developed. ALOWANCE‐PLUS is a PC‐based tool that provides the full functionality of ALOWANCE to a small number of ‘expert’ users. It incorporates scenario testing capabilities, allowing the agricultural landbank capacity to be calculated interactively. ALOWANCE‐ONLINE is a web‐based version that provides information to ‘general’ users, including pre‐selected map ‘layers’ (generated from ALOWANCE‐PLUS) and a simple query tool. Results from ALOWANCE‐PLUS showed that after exclusions and after accounting for current sources of organic materials (livestock manures, biosolids, compost, paper crumble and digestate), the estimated agricultural landbank in England and Wales for the addition of ‘new’ sources of organic materials was c. 5.1 million ha. Spatial representations showed that in some parts of the country (e.g. north‐west England), the agricultural landbank was already under ‘pressure’ and transport of any future emerging sources of organic materials away from these areas may be required.

The Representative Soil Sampling Scheme of England and Wales: the spatial variation of topsoil nutrient status and pH between 1971 and 2001

AbstractThe Representative Soil Sampling Scheme (RSSS) has monitored the soil of agricultural land in England and Wales since 1969. Here we describe the first spatial analysis of the data from these surveys using geostatistics. Four years of data (1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001) were chosen to examine the nutrient (available K, Mg and P) and pH status of the soil. At each farm, four fields were sampled; however, for the earlier years, coordinates were available for the farm only and not for each field. The averaged data for each farm were used for spatial analysis and the variograms showed spatial structure even with the smaller sample size. These variograms provide a reasonable summary of the larger scale of variation identified from the data of the more intensively sampled National Soil Inventory. Maps of kriged predictions of K generally show larger values in the central and southeastern areas (above 200 mg L−1) and an increase in values in the west over time, whereas Mg is fairly stable over time. The kriged predictions of P show a decline over time, particularly in the east, and those of pH show an increase in the east over time. Disjunctive kriging was used to examine temporal changes in available P using probabilities less than given thresholds of this element. The RSSS was not designed for spatial analysis, but the results show that the data from these surveys are suitable for this purpose. The results of the spatial analysis, together with those of the statistical analyses, provide a comprehensive view of the RSSS database as a basis for monitoring the soil. These data should be taken into account when future national soil monitoring schemes are designed.

The Representative Soil Sampling Scheme of England and Wales: a statistical analysis of topsoil nutrient status and pH between 1971 and 2001

AbstractThe Representative Soil Sampling Scheme of England and Wales has recorded information on the soil of agricultural land in England and Wales since 1969. It is a valuable source of information about the soil in the context of monitoring for sustainable agricultural development. Changes in soil nutrient status and pH were examined over the period 1971–2001. Several methods of statistical analysis were applied to data from the surveys during this period. The main focus here is on the data for 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001. The results of examining change over time in general show that levels of potassium in the soil have increased, those of magnesium have remained fairly constant, those of phosphorus have declined and pH has changed little. Future sampling needs have been assessed in the context of monitoring, to determine the mean at a given level of confidence and tolerable error and to detect change in the mean over time at these same levels over periods of 5 and 10 years. The results of a non‐hierarchical multivariate classification suggest that England and Wales could be stratified to optimize future sampling and analysis. To monitor soil quality and health more generally than for agriculture, more of the country should be sampled and a wider range of properties recorded.

The potential role for economic instruments in drought management

AbstractClimate change in the twenty‐first century will likely reduce the return period of drought events, indicating that drought management will be even more important in the future than it is already. In the case of England's Anglian region it is shown that two principal institutions are responsible for drought management—the Environment Agency and Anglian Water Services (AWS). The region has a fast‐growing population of more than 5 million people, it has 58% of the most productive agricultural land in England and Wales, and in some summers irrigation can make up 50% of water use.An examination of the drought plans of the Agency and AWS demonstrates that in both cases the policy instruments that they deploy to manage drought are informational, infrastructural and regulatory. In neither case would they use water pricing as a management tool. Moreover, the government's drought plan guidelines for the water utilities make no reference to economic instruments of drought management nor do they suggest that utilities should review the economic impact on their customers of regulatory action.The principal issues that would arise if water charging were to be deployed as a drought management instrument are then reviewed. The paper concludes by proposing that national government should evaluate the feasibility, costs, benefits and risks of replacing the regulatory instruments of drought management by economic instruments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Risk and risk management in English agriculture, c. 1750–1850

This article scrutinizes the claim that the residual claimant in English agriculture was the fixed rent tenant farmer rather than the landlord. Examination of methods of agricultural insurance and risk management indicates that the income risks of farming were sizable, not straightforward to manage, and largely borne by the tenant. Thus the farmer's profit appears to have fluctuated by more over time and space than did the rent paid to the landlord. Attempts are made to assess changes over time in the nature and size of the production and price risks to which farmers were exposed.

Sediment and phosphorus delivery from field to river via land drains in England and Wales. A risk assessment using field and national databases

Abstract. As measures to reduce point source inputs of phosphorus (P) to water have been introduced, the effect of diffuse P has become more evident. Land drains can act as an effective conduit for transfer of sediment and sediment P from agricultural land to surface waters. This article describes the development of a national risk map, identifying areas of agricultural land in England and Wales that are most likely to be prone to such losses. The map is based on data obtained from a variety of sources, including field studies, laboratory‐based rainfall simulation experiments and secondary sources. From these studies, eight factors relating to soil HOST class, rainfall, soil moisture deficit, land use and the type and condition of land drains were identified as influential in the process of sediment and sediment P transfer. Each factor was weighted to provide an estimate of risk and the combined total was used to plot a national risk estimate at a resolution of 25 km2. The exercise suggests that large areas of England and Wales may be at risk of subsurface sediment and sediment P transfer from agricultural land to rivers. The scale of the map is insufficient for planning at the farm level, but further work incorporating similar data and principles could make it more applicable to potential end‐users on the ground.

Controlling Soil Water Erosion and Phosphorus Losses from Arable Land in England and Wales

AbstractSoil water erosion and P losses were monitored annually in 13 erosion susceptible arable catchments (ca. 80 fields) in England and Wales between 1989 and 1994. Erosion was recorded in 38% of the 385 fields monitored, with ca. 80% of the erosion events occurring on land cropped to winter cereals. Three main factors were associated with the erosion events: poor crop cover (<15%), presence of valley floor features that concentrated surface runoff, and compacted tramlines/wheelings. The rainfall events causing erosion were generally greater than 15 mm/day (90% of cases), with maximum intensities >4 mm/h (94% of cases). Mean annual soil losses were 17 Mg/ha (median 0.48 Mg/ha). Annual edge‐of‐field P losses via soil (rill and gully) erosion from arable land were estimated at ca. 2300 Mg, equivalent to approximately 18% of estimated P losses from agricultural land in England and Wales. A number of erosion control techniques also were tested. The use of minimum (or noninversion) tillage techniques that leave straw on the soil surface were effective in reducing erosion, although there were some practical problems with crop establishment. Avoiding fine rolled seedbeds minimized slaking and capping at the soil surface, helping to maintain water infiltration rates and reduce runoff. Where winter cereals were grown, early drilling encouraged crop cover development during the autumn period, protecting the soil from the erosive impact of rainfall. To avoid wheeling compaction, tramlines were best set up after winter cereal crops had emerged and any trafficking delayed or avoided in the autumn.

Grassed buffer strips for the control of nitrate leaching to surface waters in headwater catchments

The use of riparian buffer strips is a possible strategy for controlling diffuse nitrate pollution of surface water in agricultural catchments. Data collected from paired buffered and unbuffered headwater catchments at three sites with conditions representative of much of the agricultural land in England and Wales, showed that grassed buffers did not substantially reduce nitrate–nitrogen concentrations entering the streams. Median nitrate–nitrogen levels observed in buffered catchments ranged from 7.6 to 18.8 mgN l −1, but peaked at up to 46.1 mgN l −1. The existence of preferential bypass flow paths during the winter flow events limited the effectiveness of nitrate removing processes within the strips. The findings suggest that grassed riparian buffer strips may not be effective in controlling diffuse nitrate pollution unless the hydrology of the strip allows a suitable environment for denitrification and/or plant uptake. Grassed buffer strips should be carefully targeted or, alternatively, engineered to ensure adequate residence time of solutes within the strip.

Lupins : Comparison with soya bean as a protein source for young beef cattle

Recent work on the agronomy and the genetic make-up of a new strain of lupin, which could be grown on almost half the agricultural land in England and Wales, has resulted in improvements in the yield and protein content of lupins. The protein content of lupins, at 37 % of the dry matter, is higher than that of either peas or beans and therefore lupins could be an important source of home-grown protein. There is little information available on the potential of new strains of lupins as a protein source in the feed of ruminants, particularly in conjunction with forage maize.

Lupins : Comparison with soya bean as a protein source for young beef cattle

Recent work on the agronomy and the genetic make-up of a new strain of lupin, which could be grown on almost half the agricultural land in England and Wales, has resulted in improvements in the yield and protein content of lupins. The protein content of lupins, at 37 % of the dry matter, is higher than that of either peas or beans and therefore lupins could be an important source of home-grown protein. There is little information available on the potential of new strains of lupins as a protein source in the feed of ruminants, particularly in conjunction with forage maize.

Climate change and soil erosion on agricultural land in england and wales

AbstractTo assess the effects of climate change on soil erosion we need to model changes in rate, frequency and extent of erosion. Present day rates of soil erosion for agricultural land in England and Wales are known from a national monitoring scheme and also from a local one. The latter, for the South Downs, covers a seven‐year period and includes climatic data. This shows a strong correlation between total erosion and a Rainfall Index. The availability of these databases allows us to use existing models such as EPIC and an Expert System to predict erosion rates for postulated warmer and wetter (winter) conditions. EPIC is particularly suitable for specific sites where detailed data exists and crop yield implications can also be modelled. A rule‐based Expert System approach allows us to examine erosion rates at a different scale across the landscape. We postulate that water erosion rates on arable land in the lowlands will increase markedly in severity, frequency and extent especially if land use changes. In the uplands predicted climatic warming suggests a longer growing season and fewer frosts: these may lead to a decrease in erosion of overgrazed eroding slopes. Increases in erosion rates are not inevitable if policy decisions are taken and implemented in good time.

Soil ingestion — a major pathway of heavy metals into livestock grazing contaminated land

An estimated 4000 km 2 of agricultural land in England and Wales has been contaminated in varying degrees by past mining and smelting activities. Contaminants include one or more of the metals Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and As. Studies conducted in southwest and central England conclude that only a small proportion of these metals are taken up into the leaf material of pasture plants and that plant uptake would not seem to constitute a major pathway to grazing animals. Using the titanium content of faeces as a stable indicator of soil ingestion, we found that grazing cattle involuntarily ingest from 1% to nearly 18% of their dry matter intake as soil; sheep may ingest up to 30%. Soil ingestion varies seasonally and with farm management. Calculations based on soil, plant and faecal analyses show that from 9% to 80% percent of the Pb and 34% to 90% of the As intake into cattle on contaminated land is due to ingested soil.

Trends in Land Tenure and Ownership

In talking about trends in land tenure and ownership, I propose to confine myself, mainly, to agricultural land in England and Wales, as agriculture is by far the biggest single use to which our land is put. Let me say, at once, that there is a marked lack of co-ordinated statistics on many aspects of the subject and I have, therefore, thought it best to round-off the majority of the figures quoted. For the convenience of those who may wish to pursue the matter further, a list of the main sources of information has been included in the references.

An Inquiry into the Rent of Agricultural Land in England and Wales During the Nineteenth Century

An Inquiry into the Rent of Agricultural Land in England and Wales During the Nineteenth Century