ADBA launches AD for famers' guide at UK AD & Biogas 2012

ADBA PRESS RELEASE

The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) has today launched its beginner’s guide to anaerobic digestion for farmers and landowners at the UK AD & Biogas 2012 expo and conference.

The guide has been released as part of a series from ADBA designed to communicate the benefits of AD to different audiences (farming, business and the general public).

AD is a key mechanism in the challenge to move towards climate smart farming: mitigating methane emissions from slurries; offering a steady income stream; providing low-carbon energy; supporting crop rotations to improve soil quality; and recycling nutrients in the feedstocks back to land, replacing energy intensive artificial fertilisers. To highlight the benefits of on-farm AD to farmers and support the development of the technology on farms, ADBA has put together the beginner’s guide in addition to its free farmers’ consultancy service, both designed to help farmers work out if AD is right for them.

Lord Redesdale, Chairman, ADBA said,

AD has a huge amount to offer farming businesses – from dealing with organic wastes to generating new revenue streams. It is particularly important to the future of low-carbon food production, by providing renewable energy and – perhaps most significantly – a renewable alternative to artificial fertilisers. Only last week the Committee on Climate Change raised concern about an increased use of artificial fertilisers, which already contribute over 1.1% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

 

ADBA is working hard to promote the benefits of AD to the farming community through developing this guide and through ADBA’s free Farmers Consultancy Service.

 

I hope this guide will provide a starting point for farmers interested in AD. It’s fantastic to see so many farming industry representatives at UK AD & Biogas already, but we want to make sure that all farms have considered whether they can benefit from AD.

Gwyn Jones, Former Vice President, NFU, and Board Director, ADBA said:

The benefits of anaerobic digestion to UK farming are far reaching. Finding ways to sustainably intensify and diversify a farming business is challenging but AD can help on many fronts by helping farmers to make the best use of their resources, as well as reducing dependence on commercial fertilisers and traditional transport fuels and energy.

 

This beginner’s guide to on-farm AD is an excellent tool to help communicate the benefits that AD can offer to farmers.