Farmers ‘can diversify their income by planting energy crops’

Farmers can diversify their income and increase the productivity of their land by planting energy crops, according to the results of three case studies published by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). Planting energy crops can increase the profitability of farm land over a 23-year lifetime, and initial investment costs can be paid back within six to seven years.

The studies examine the financial impact of transitioning to planting second generation energy crops such as Miscanthus and short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and also provide an insight into how farmers can optimise the way they use their land to minimise any impact on food production. The impact on food production can be minimised or avoided by optimising the use of land across the farm, meaning that energy crop planting need not be in direct competition with food production, says the report. 

The farmers in the case studies chose to grow energy crops for a variety of reasons – to make better use of difficult or underused land, to diversify income and to reduce workload. The availability of secure, long-term contracts for the crop was also a key factor in their decision making. 

Land which is less suitable for food production or grazing can be suited to growing energy crops as they can be successfully planted on poorer quality soils, and on land which is more prone to waterlogging or weed problems. 

Hannah Evans, Bioenergy Strategy Analyst at the ETI said: ‘Bioenergy can play a significant and valuable role in the future UK energy system, helping to reduce the cost of meeting the UK’s 2050 greenhouse gas emissions and produce up to 10% of UK energy needs. Delivering 10% of projected energy demand in the 2050s will require around three times as much bioenergy to be generated as today.’

As the government prepares the framework for the UK exiting the EU, it must decide how farming will be supported outside of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, says the ETI. These case studies show that planting bioenergy crops provides an opportunity for farmers to increase the profitability and productivity of their land whilst also producing biomass feedstock that can help reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.