Exploring the synergies and trade-offs of farm management practices on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and wellbeing

Farming practices which enhance biodiversity and take carbon out of the atmosphere are being implemented around the world (e.g., hedgerow and tree planting, no till soil management and wildflower strips). Some countries have incentive schemes which pay farmers to encourage sustainable land management (e.g., the new ELMs scheme in the UK). Much of the evidence for these payments are based on studies which look at the societal benefits separately, for example carbon or biodiversity. The synergistic benefits or trade-offs in these decisions are frequently missing, particularly the connections between biodiversity and mental health as an aspect of wellbeing. The project will have applied and field-based components with studies being conducted on farms. Fieldwork will be predominantly in the UK, but we may also include a comparative element with a developing country where the evidence base is sparse. Field methods include biodiversity assessments, carbon measurements, and well as interviews with farmers and other stakeholders. The aims are to inform better management recommendations and policies for sustainable food production, improved environmental health and human wellbeing. To do this we need to identify the most effective farm management practices which can increase the uptake of beneficial management, whilst also providing many other benefits to society.