Trees mean better business
for farming and the environment

July 2016

Over the last 10 years tree planting has become an established part of farm management for many free range egg producers. Producers, such as David Brass, CEO of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company, have come to appreciate the commercial, welfare and environmental benefits that trees can deliver. Go into the majority of the main retailers and you will find woodland eggs for sale.

“The cost benefit of tree planting is one of the best in farming. It costs us about £2000 per hectare to plant trees but this immediately improves the proportion of Grade A eggs produced by at least two per cent, meaning we achieve payback in just six months.” David Brass, CEO of The Lakes Free Range Egg Company.

So what is behind this success story? Firstly there is clear evidence to show that trees encourage the birds to range and to demonstrate other natural behaviours which leads to improvements in animal health and welfare, as well as improvements in production – both in the quality and quantity of eggs.

Stress is a major issue in large commercial flocks, contributing to poor bird condition, injurious feather pecking and low quality egg production. A clear link between tree cover, range use and reduced injurious feather pecking has been shown resulting in better economic returns as well as bird welfare. The trees also provide shade which in conjunction with less stress results in the hens laying fewer eggs graded as seconds which given that seconds are worth about a third of Class A eggs has a marked economic effect.

There is scope for trees to deliver similar benefits to other farming systems; for example studies have shown that good shelter will help in cold, wet and windy weather to reduce neonatal lamb losses and help reduce the risk of mastitis in lactating ewes. Trees, can also act as an insurance policy against drought. Field edge or in-field shelter belts modify the crop microclimate by reducing wind speeds and reduce evapotranspiration losses. It has been shown that shelter belts can increase wheat yields by at least 3.5 per cent as a result of more efficient water usage.

But there are many practical and policy barriers to overcome if natural measures such as tree planting are to become part of mainstream farm management plans and Government policy. While both trees and agriculture fall within the remit of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs they are still treated as separate activities with little or no overlap. In many situations farmers have been discouraged to plant trees because to do so would mean they would lose Basic Farm Payment. Yet the evidence suggests that integrating trees back into an agricultural landscape can show multiple benefits.

Exiting from the EU is a pivotal point in this nation's history for food, farming and the natural environment. We now have an opportunity to create a fully integrated and resilient approach to land management. An essential starting point is to ensure that the Government recognises that the success for food and farming is dependent on a healthy environment. Wildlife and Countryside Link’s vision Farming fit for the Future, which we are considering updating to reflect recent events, sets out a vision for farming that will deliver multiple benefits for farming communities and businesses, for nature and for the nation; in the immediate term and into the future – we believe that the Government needs to deliver the same level of aspiration.

Helen Chesshire

Senior Advisor, Farming, Woodland Trust

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