High yields have lower C footprints per tonne of output and so make economic sense for farm businesses. Moving beyond land sharing vs land sparing. An integrated place-based approach. Yield is king… in the right contexts.
This is a summary of the YEN Conference 2026 session: Impact of high yields on profitability and sustainability, the speaker is Christine Baxter ADAS, and this summary is from the Farm PEP website.
The paper discusses the debate between land sparing and land sharing, highlighting the importance of nuanced, place-based approaches to optimal land use. It presents the Three Compartment Model, noting that different species benefit from varying habitat intensities. Current strategies, such as the 30:50:50 Mission, aim to boost UK agricultural productivity while significantly reducing environmental impact. Government support and planning tools are available to help farmers adopt sustainable practices and make informed decisions about land allocation for high yield farming, natural habitats, and low intensity agriculture.