EXCLUSIVE - Baroness Shaista Sheehan: "45% of fertiliser applied to land is being lost to the environment rather than being taken up by crops"

Baroness Sheehan writes on how the majority of ammonia and nitrous oxide pollution to water comes from the agricultural sector and the ways it can reduce, recycle and reuse nitrogen pollution

clock • 3 min read
Baroness Sheehan, chair of the House of Lords' Environment and Climate Change Committee, said: "Technological approaches such as slurry separators, anaerobic digestion, drying manures and creating fertiliser products such as nutrient-dense pellets present an opportunity to generate new markets."
Image:

Baroness Sheehan, chair of the House of Lords' Environment and Climate Change Committee, said: "Technological approaches such as slurry separators, anaerobic digestion, drying manures and creating fertiliser products such as nutrient-dense pellets present an opportunity to generate new markets."

Nitrogen is an essential element for all living things and makes up around 80% of the air we breathe. However, nitrogen can combine with other elements to form dangerous pollutants that are damaging...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

Login

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358
Register for free Join Now

 

fg buy and sell
VIEW ADVERT

New & Used Bulk Milk Tanks

New & Used Bulk Milk Tanks

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Environment

Drought likely to continue into 2026 due to record dry weather
Environment

Drought likely to continue into 2026 due to record dry weather

England’s reservoirs should be 76% full at this time of year – but many of them (41%) are under half full

Alex Black
Alex Black
clock 30 October 2025 • 3 min read
Sir David Attenborough backs bid to save Rothbury Estate for 'nature and the nation'
Environment

Sir David Attenborough backs bid to save Rothbury Estate for 'nature and the nation'

The campaign, run by The Wildlife Trusts and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, needs to raise £30 million to secure the future of the Rothbury Estate and use it for natural restoration

Mia Willemsen
clock 29 October 2025 • 2 min read
70-mile pylon development sees the 'largest responses of public outcry ever seen'
Environment

70-mile pylon development sees the 'largest responses of public outcry ever seen'

More than 10,000 objections have been submitted against plans to install a 70-mile pylon development across Scottish farmland

Mia Willemsen
clock 28 October 2025 • 1 min read