POLICY AND ECONOMICS FOR AGROECOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE FARMING IN WWF'S PREFERRED PATHWAY TO NET-ZERO AGRICULTURE AND LAND USE

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SUMMARY: WWF-UK seeks a consultant to build on existing evidence with a view to researching and making recommendations for different food system actors on how to realise the opportunities in and how best to overcome the barriers to driving a large scale shift to agroecology and regenerative agriculture.

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT As set out in our "Land of Plenty" report, WWF is calling for a new vision for UK landscapes, with a nature-positive approach to net zero and for the UK Government to commit to explicit emission reduction targets for the agriculture and land use sectors. These targets currently are to: • Reduce UK direct agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 35% by 2030 and 51% by 2050 on 2018 levels • Switch UK land from a net source of GHG emissions to a net sink by 2040 at the very latest • Halt and reverse the loss of UK nature by 2030 • Cut UK farming's overseas carbon footprint particularly relating to soy feed and fertiliser inputs by at least 31% by 2030 and 57% by 2050 on 2018 levels WWF has commissioned work to identify the feasibility of a pathway to net zero that prioritises regenerative approaches to agriculture that also support nature's recovery in the UK, highlighting that solutions and pathways will vary across landscapes and seascapes, and recognising the role that technology and consumer demands can play in alleviating trade-offs to net-zero. Meanwhile, the Soil Association published a report titled 'The Economics of a Transition to Agroecological Farm Businesses'. The report set out the economic outlook for transition to agroecology for a range of farm types, using a range of assumptions and scenarios. It makes recommendations on subjects including government policy, supply chains and farm business structure. WWF have also commissioned related work on sustainable UK food supply chains in the context of farmer to retailer change: the consultant's report (due to be published by April) will be made available to the successful bidder. We recognise that changes in agricultural practices will have consequences for the agricultural sector as a whole as well as for individual farmers, and we want to test how WWF's preferred pathway and the economic outlook modelled for farm businesses in Soil Association's work can be delivered.

DELIVERABLES If possible, the contractor would attend and take notes during the workshop on 27 March.

The consultant will produce a report (40-80 pages) with 1-3 page executive summary, and slide deck for advocating how and why different stakeholders might best take the actions recommended for delivering an agroecological transition.

Consultants will be expected to present, alongside WWF, to between 2 and 5 groups of policy-makers/stakeholders.