Tweets by Nikki of GrampianGraziers. Wild Farming. Food Systems. Home of #TheWeeMob Working with @PastureForLife | PhD student - Agroecological Transitions
Mar 5 • 19 tweets • 4 min read
This video from Matthew & the one he links to by @farmermat1 are really interesting as very practical applied examples of supply chain net zero aims and what a more land sparing approach looks like on actual farms.
What I find fascinating are the cross overs between systems 🧵1
We hear @ThrimbyFarms talking about increasing output (quadrupling cattle numbers) and using profits to invest in nature positive outcomes - so production + a mostly “hedges and edges” approach…the net zero bit comes from intensification so the emissions are diluted by numbers 2
May 8, 2023 • 14 tweets • 3 min read
Some thoughts on biodiversity loss - and why I think farmers are feeling defensive… 🧵
The State of Nature report identified a 13% decline in the average abundance of wildlife in the UK since the 1970s
This means fewer plants, birds and invertebrates. 1/14
And many researchers point to the intensification of agriculture as a leading cause - which isn’t wrong for farmland birds for example, but there’s no doubt the increase in cars, built areas, rubbish and pollution have all had a huge impact on nature and ecosystem health 2/14
Mar 31, 2023 • 22 tweets • 6 min read
With the current debate between @GeorgeMonbiot and @AllanRSavory leaving folk on both sides struggling to feel heard (including me) I thought I’d try and explain a bit more about why the grazing GM refers to and the grazing AS refer to are not the same - bear with me! 🧵 1/20
Generally, research into grazing relies on models that are based on set stocked systems - simply number of animals per acre, with an assumption they are there continuously. And continuous grazing has been pretty standard for a lot of farmers for a fairly long time 2/20
Mar 14, 2023 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
Fascinating chat with colleagues over dinner tonight about decisions relating to food - every single food choice I make includes consideration of trade offs and impact…and I often forget that the vast majority of folk don’t live that way.
1/6
As farmers we ask consumers to make conscientious food purchasing decisions, we ask people to think about buying local, or shopping intentionally or eating seasonally.
2/6
Mar 13, 2023 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
I do quite a lot of webinars - and tonight’s was brilliant, for a number of reasons - a wee thread 🧵
Firstly it was an all female panel 💃💃 💃
This is important because women’s voices are under represented in agriculture and ag policy - and have been for a LONG TIME - so this felt like strong solidarity for women in ag from @ScotLINK
2/6
Mar 9, 2022 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
I am frankly appalled that @NFUStweets are calling for those areas identified as Ecological Focus Areas to be brought into production as a response to a humanitarian crisis. And this is why 🧵/1
The horrendous situation in Ukraine is absolutely going to have an impact on global food commodities, and that is the real issue here - that our food is traded as a commodity, on a global scale leading, particularly in the UK’s case, to an over reliance on imported food /2
Mar 8, 2022 • 14 tweets • 8 min read
Today is #IWD2022 this year’s theme is #BreakTheBias - which I am going to celebrate with a thread of ten amazing women I have encountered in UK Agriculture & academia through my work as a farmer, PhD researcher, with @PastureForLife & as Co-founder of Regen Women on the Land.
First up - the marvellously charismatic, passionate and extremely knowledgeable @DrDowhittle - what an incredible force for good in the ag and vet sectors 🙌
