Natural Capital

Farmers and the supply chain are under extreme pressure to respond to the effect of climate change and the biodiversity loss occurring across the globe. There are already major changes which are making it increasingly more difficult for farmers to manage, putting pressure on food production, and strains on the social and financial side of farm businesses.

Farming businesses can maximise their natural capital assets to work alongside the typical farm business to improve farm resilience focusing on economic, environmental and social factors. Whilst working with your natural capital assets will be important to ensure farming resilience, there are now markets developing to provide financial support through private funding streams to pay for management or creation of natural capital assets. These private funding streams could become particularly important as we move away from a subsidy free future, whilst diversifying funding streams. It is important when looking into these markets that the correct advice is received and the right agreements are entered into.

Biodiversity Net Gain

Since February 2024, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has been a legal requirement for developers across England, mandating a minimum 10% measurable improvement to nature as part of any new development. For landowners, this policy shift creates a genuine opportunity to generate long-term revenue through the creation and management of biodiversity habitats, while also presenting important obligations and challenges to navigate. Whether you own marginal farmland, woodland, or other natural capital assets, understanding how BNG credits work could open a valuable new income stream for your estate.

From navigating the biodiversity gain site register to understanding how BNG interacts with existing agri-environment schemes like the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship, the detail matters. Masons Rural experts can break down the opportunities, the 30-year land management commitments involved, and the practical steps you should take to assess your land's potential. Click here to find out how Masons Rural can help you make the most of this evolving natural capital market.

Soil health

Soil health is a vital part of maintaining a resilient and profitable business. Healthy soil is key to efficiently cycling soil nutrients, important for reducing the requirement of artificial inputs, producing nutrient dense food and coping with the weather extremes we are facing.

Understanding the current condition of your soil provides you with the ability to make management changes and create a baseline for monitoring changes.  

What we can offer:

• Support you with carrying out a soil health assessment on farm.
• Advice on creating your soil management plan for the SFI CSAM1: Assess soil, produce a soil management plan and test organic matter.
• Advice on best practices to improve soil health.
• Identify funding streams which would support improvements in soil health.

Carbon Footprinting

Agriculture, like any other industry, emits greenhouse gases in the form of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These emissions can come from livestock, machinery use, fertilser and soil. However, it is also one of the only industries which has the potential to sequester carbon in the soil, woodland and other vegetation.

A carbon footprint identifies the quantity and source of greenhouse gases. Reasons to understand your carbon footprint include:

• The vital first step to be able to quantify your businesses contribution to climate change.
• It can be a tool to increase resilience and efficiency within the farm business and identify losses from the business.
• Allowing access to private funding streams in the future as baseline data has been collected.
• Getting ahead of payment alterations created by pressure from the supply chain. The food supply chain is increasingly interested in on-farm emissions when they are looking at their Scope 3 emissions from their supplier.

At Masons we have the knowledge to assist you in completing and understanding your farm’s carbon footprint. We can work together to create action plans to reduce emissions where possible.

To find out more about how we can help with Biodiversity Net Gain, Soil Health and Carbon Footprinting just email or call our Rural Team on 01507 350500 Option 3