The way that we utilise land has a clear and measurable impact on climate change and environmental degradation. Agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) industries face not only the challenge of responding to climate targets, but the three key climate-related challenges of:

1. Adaptation – As the climate changes, nature will adapt, so our use of the land will need to adapt too. Land will become increasingly exposed to the risks from climate change and land use practices such as farming, which depends on the weather, could become increasingly impacted by droughts, floods and ever-changing environmental factors.
2. Mitigation – AFOLU industries and environments can help to mitigate climate change through providing carbon sequestration as a result of bio-processes and via improved land management.
3. Causation – Agricultural practices and land use change, such as deforestation, results in the release of GHGs. Forests and biomass store carbon which when harvested and incinerated, often to produce energy, results in the release of that carbon (predominantly CO₂). Alongside the production of methane and nitrous oxides as a result of farming activity, all of which is contributing to climate change and environmental degradation. 

As seen in the 25 Year Environment Plan, the UK Government prioritises measuring biodiversity and eco-system health as well as reducing emissions as a result of land practices, whilst supporting the agricultural sector as a vital component of the UK’s economy. However, there are limits to the contribution of land when addressing climate change. The global population is forecast to hit 9.7 billion by 2050 and demand for food is set to dramatically increase. Therefore crop yield measurements will become increasingly important to ensure security of supply, including monitoring crop growth for phenotyping and precision farming.

Careful and accurate measurement of data will enable AFOLU to respond, react and plan effectively for a more sustainable approach to food production and land management.