This article was amended on April 4 from a previous version to correct the size of the Pertwood project.
A project for generating biodiversity net gain (BNG) units while farming organic cattle in south England has been announced by nature restoration company Restore.
Across a 2,600-acre area in Wiltshire, Restore plans to generate nature uplift with landowners Lower Pertwood Organic Farm, it announced Wednesday, on Global Rewilding Day.
The Pertwood Plain Project aims to capitalise on Country Stewardship government grants for nature enhancements, such as curating wooded pastures, alongside selling off-site BNG units to local developers, Restore CEO Benedict Macdonald told Carbon Pulse.
The initiative will look to farm organic cattle and pigs, while also culling wild deer for meat, Macdonald said.
The animals will have the run of the whole 3,000-ha plot without interior fences, grazing from plants grown without fertilisers, in a “carbon positive” model with “astronomically lower” methane production, Macdonald claimed.
“Industrial farming is an appalling practice,” he said. However, the Pertwood Plain Project is the “polar opposite” due to its more sustainable grazing practices.
Supporters of grass-fed beef say it can produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, promote soil health, and reduce reliance on intensive grain production. However, the practice has been questioned with some studies suggesting pasture-fed cows can produce more emissions over their lifetimes.
Environmentalists often advocate for reducing meat consumption or transitioning to plant-based diets due to environmental concerns associated with meat production.
Estimates for the contribution of livestock production to global greenhouse gas emissions range between 11% and 19%, according to an article from research organisation The Breakthrough Institute published last year.
BIOABUNDANCE
Restore will measure biodiversity uplift across the project using the BNG metric alongside its own “bioabundance” indicator for sampling the numbers of specific species such as moths.
Under the BNG rules, development projects in England need to achieve a net biodiversity improvement of at least 10% from February.
Observers are keenly watching the progression of the law as it could set a global standard for government nature requirements, while creating a market for statutory biodiversity credits that developers have to buy off-site as a ‘last resort’.
The nature restoration steps Restore will take include reinstating:
- Soil richness
- The structural complexity of grass and shrubland
- Naturalistic grazing
- Lost species including invertebrates
In January, Restore said it planned to develop its own voluntary biodiversity credit standard.
These plans are on track but voluntary biodiversity credits do not yet have a place in the Pertwood Plain Project, as they are not a reliable enough source of income, though Restore will consider using them in the area in future, Macdonald said.
By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com
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