IAQM Discussion Meeting: How can we tackle the urgent problem of ammonia emissions?

1. How will the farming sector reduce ammonia
emissions?
Grace Whitlow
NFU Environment Adviser (Water Quality and Ammonia)

2. 2
• There has been a
long-term decline in air
pollution since 1970.
• Ammonia emissions
from agriculture
decreased by 19%
between1990 and 2015.
• However, ammonia
emissions have
increased since 2015
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Index(1970=100)
Ammonia(1980=100)
Nitrogen Oxides
PM2.5
PM10
Ammonia
Sulphur Dioxide
Non-methane volatile
organic compounds
INDEX LINE
Ammonia: progress so far

3. Source: NFU; United by our environment, our food, our future report, 2018

4. How much reduction is required?
279 265
242
14
35
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
2016 2020 2030
Current and projected
emissions (kt) of NH3
Emissions below ceiling Emissions above ceiling
8% REDUCTION REQUIRED BY
2020
16% REDUCTION REQUIRED
BY 2030
Data is key!
Defra is still analysing and
building evidence to evaluate
what is needed to reach
targets for 2020 and 2030.

5. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
1. Introduce rules on specific emissions reducing practices including….
‘a requirement to take action to reduce emissions from urea-based fertilisers. We
will consult on this policy in 2019 with a view to introducing legislation in the shortest
possible timeframe’
Current ammonia inventory does not consider:
• Method of application
• Soil Temperature
• Weekly or daily rainfall in a 10km2 (Only monthly average)
• Soil type
• Farmers deliberate actions to minimise volatilisation
How do we measure the mitigating measures to reduce emissions that
are put in place by farmers?
Still waiting for the consultation
Factors that have
significant impact on
ammonia emissions

6. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
‘a requirement for all solid manure and solid digestate spread to bare land (other than
that managed in a no-till system) to be incorporated rapidly (within 12 hours) with
legislation to be introduced in the shortest possible timeframe’
Exempt
Source: Mzuri Source: Bicton College
Must be incorporated within 12 hours

7. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
‘a requirement to spread
slurries and digestate using
low-emission spreading
equipment (trailing shoe or
trailing hose or injection) by
2025. We will also consider
options for phasing in this
requirement so that those
spreading digestate or large
volumes of slurry may be
required to adopt the
practice at an earlier date’
Trailing shoe
Trailing hoseInjection
Broadcast spreading

8. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
‘a requirement for slurry and digestate stores to be
covered by 2027. We will consider options for phasing in
this requirement so that those producing or storing
digestate or large volumes of slurry may be required to
adopt the practice at an earlier date.’
• Does it need to be rigid cover?
• How will farmers be supported in making this
investment?
• Huge investment needed for new stores as rigid covers
can not be retrofitted to most stores
• Will there be grant support to achieve this?

9. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
mandatory design
standards for new
intensive poultry, pig and
beef livestock housing and
for dairy housing. The
standards will be designed
in collaboration with
industry experts and will
include design features to
improve animal health and
welfare and minimise
environmental pollution to
air (including green house
gas emissions), water and
land as far as practicable
(No timescale)
 Holistic approach looking beyond ammonia emissions
We need:
• Livestock building industry up to date with the standards and
able to advise their client (the farmer)
• Standards based on robust science, recent data that is
continually updated.
• Thorough cost benefit analysis on standards.
• Mitigation of ammonia effectively recorded and included in
ammonia inventory across the UK.
• Grant support to encourage investment
• Guidance on most cost effective and practical measures
(Farmers want to start future proofing now!)

10. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
2. Regulate to minimise pollution from
organic and inorganic fertiliser use
‘…..We will task an expert group
including agricultural policy experts,
agronomists, scientists and economists
to make recommendations on the
optimal form of regulation to minimise
pollution from fertiliser use. The
recommendations should prioritise the
use of organic fertilisers, limiting
ammonia emissions, GHG emissions
and water pollution and protecting
sensitive habitats at least in line with
government commitments.’
• Nitrogen use efficiency has improved over the years
• Potential to make further efficiencies, especially with
organic manures.

11. Clean Air Strategy: Actions to reduce emissions from farming
3. Extension of environmental permitting to dairy and intensive beef farms by 2025
‘….we will work with the industry to agree appropriate emission limits and Best
Available Technique (BAT) documents for limiting pollution from these sectors.
The livestock housing standards will be based on BAT documents developed in
collaboration with industry’

12. Permitting of dairy and intensive beef
Question still to be answered
What does intensive beef mean? How will permitting be implemented?
Permitting should:
• Allow the national emission inventory to record and represent true UK conditions and
practices
• Set BAT’s that are based on thorough cost benefit analysis
• Improvements in nitrogen use efficiency will give the most cost- effective
emission reductions
• Set BAT’s that are based on robust science, recent data that is continually updated
• Provide financial support to assist with potentially costly investments
• Have a full cycle approach, mitigating emissions at each stage of potential ammonia loss
• Emissions largely arise from manure management – livestock housing, application
to land
• Include effective and easy to access advice for farmers
• Must not be implemented at the cost of productive farm businesses Source: Championing the Farmed Environment

13. Source: Rothamsted Research

14. Industry Advice
• Nutritionist
• Agronomist
£3 million scheme to tackle ammonia

15. Summary
Making it achievable and affordable
• Cost of measures should not outweigh the benefit of emission
reduction
• Find solutions to reduce emissions but also boost productivity
• Support farm businesses through funding and advice
• Take a holistic approach considering joint benefits and potential
trade offs with Water quality, GHG’s, habitat etc.
Improve our knowledge about ammonia emissions
• Track trends in emissions
• Gain more farm practice data
• Improve the model algorithms used in the inventory- Emission
factors based on robust science
• Capture ongoing changes in farm practices
• Improve sector descriptions

16. Any Questions?
Grace Whitlow
NFU Environment Adviser
Email: grace.whitlow@nfu.org.uk