Jane Oosterhof
After growing up on an upland livestock farm I have been passionate about the environment and farming and how the two complement one another from a young age. This led me to study Agriculture, and onto a career in agricultural consultancy. I now farm with my husband and 3 children on a mixed beef and arable farm in the North East of Scotland. I also continue to work in agricultural consultancy.
As a producer of beef I am driven to find ways we can improve our business, to ensure we continue to produce a sustainable product. The future of beef production is under scrutiny, and as a result I want to learn how to safeguard our beef producing business for the next generation. It is on this context that I embark on my Nuffield journey. I am extremely grateful to my sponsor The Macrobert Trust and Nuffield Farming for allowing me to do this.
Can Net Zero Drive Profitability on UK Beef Farms?
The MacRobert Trust
Study Overview
As a nation we are on a journey to net zero which can feel daunting and sometimes disengaging for farmers, not least beef farmers. As a result net zero is often seen as a threat rather than an opportunity, but I believe we can use it as a driver to improve performance, farm gate prices, and profitability. Afterall, carbon is cost so by stripping out the cost and focusing on efficiency this will lead to an improved bottom line.
I aim to identify the essential methods we must use to get to net zero and how they affect profitability. Genetics, health, feed, infrastructure, new technology and management systems will all play an important part in the process, but how far do they go in scaling production and reducing emissions?
Profitable businesses lie at the heart of the solution so it's imperative we use that as the main driving force on the road to net zero beef.