In 2019 the UK became the first country to legislate the net zero target of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Agriculture accounts for roughly 10% of the UKs total GHG emissions so the sector is under considerable pressure to reduce this figure.
On 22 February, KESS 2 company partner Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) hosted a webinar focusing on Researching Sustainable Farming in Wales and Dr Prysor Williams, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management at Bangor University, presented alongside two of his KESS 2 funded PhD students Louise McNicol and Joe Jones. The aim of this webinar was to highlight some of the research that is ongoing into sustainable agriculture in Wales.
The webinar received an excellent response with just under 100 online attendances recorded. There was significant engagement from the attendees in the Q&A session, which led to numerous interesting discussions, and the feedback received after the event was particularly encouraging for the future in this area of research.
Dr Prysor Williams said,
“It was great to have the opportunity to present with Louise and Joe – two brilliant PhD students who joined us at Bangor University’s School of Natural Sciences in the autumn [of October 2020]. They are doing some very important and innovative work, which will help the agricultural sector to meet some of the ambitious environmental targets it faces. It was clear that there was a great deal of interest in their work, and we are grateful to Hybu Cig Cymru for providing the opportunity to introduce the research we do at Bangor University “.
Louise added by saying,
“As I am currently only in the first year of my studies, I was thankful to HCC for the fantastic opportunity to participate in this webinar to share some of my initial findings with the stakeholders within the sector. By providing a brief overview of my project and presenting some of my future aims, I had the opportunity to demonstrate my enthusiasm and ambitions for my PhD to others in the industry. I am really looking forward to sharing more of my PhD findings in the future.”
And Joe said,
“It was a great opportunity to speak about my work. I feel this is a major benefit of the KESS 2 funding system as its links with company partners and gives young researchers a platform to discuss their work. I look forward to future opportunities where I can talk about my work in more detail. “
Further information about the research can be found below and a recording of the webinar is available to watch here: https://meatpromotion.wales/en/news-industry-info/hcc-tv
Academic Spotlight
Dr Prysor Williams
Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management
I have a broad range of research interests that usually sit on the interface between agriculture and the environment. These include areas around organic resources (slurries, manures, etc.), pathogens, antibiotic resistance, and soils. Having worked on a number of large interdisciplinary projects, I have also developed a considerable interest in the ongoing discussions around land use (sustainable intensification, delivery of public goods, etc.).
I sit on a number of external committees and frequently engage with industry.
Full Academic Profile: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/natural-sciences/staff/prysor-williams/en
The Research Projects
Louise McNichol
Strategies to reach zero carbon beef and sheep production on Welsh farms
My work is very much based around carbon footprinting and the modelling of mitigation scenarios. So far, I have investigated the key differences between some carbon calculators and demonstrated how these differences can affect the resulting carbon footprint. I have also begun to explore net zero GHG emission scenarios for some Welsh farms and hope to continue this work at the farm-level before considering national level modelling investigate ways the net zero targets could be achieved.
Joe Jones
Determining the Potential for Precision Grazing to Improve the Resilience of Livestock Production Systems
Currently, I am working on a survey that aims to better understand existing sheep and cattle grazing systems. This will be released in the next few months. It will give farmers a chance to explain why they have the grazing systems they have, and what barriers there may be to improving those systems. In the future I will be undertaking grazing trials that will examine different grazing management systems and evaluate them based on their economic and environmental impact.
