UK-first farming trial on Lincolnshire border aiming to tackle food and energy security
Circular model will rewet peatland, grow energy crops and aim to produce food all year round
A farm on the North Lincolnshire border is at the centre of a major new project aiming to change how we produce both food and energy in the UK.
The £2.4 million “RePeat” scheme is testing a new kind of “circular farming” - where crops grown on peatland are used to create low-carbon fuel, while also helping to grow food all year round.
At the heart of the idea is a simple challenge: how to cut emissions from farming without reducing the amount of food we produce.
Dr Amir Badiee from the University of Lincoln says the project is looking at “the resiliency of food system and energy system” – bringing the two together in one model.
The trial involves rewetting peatland – which helps stop harmful greenhouse gas emissions – and growing energy crops that can thrive in wetter conditions.
Those crops are then processed to produce a cleaner fuel that could replace traditional LPG used in heating and machinery.
But it doesn’t stop there.
The heat and carbon dioxide produced during that process are captured and reused in controlled environments like glasshouses – allowing food to be grown year-round, regardless of the weather.
Dr Badiee explains: “We are creating a circular model where we address the greenhouse gas emission… while we can still produce food.”
He says that approach could help farmers deal with increasing pressures from climate change and unpredictable conditions.
“Controlled environment agriculture… helps us to improve the food resiliency and make it independent of the climatic conditions,” he added.
It comes as global food and energy supplies face growing pressure from the conflict in Iran – with disruption to oil, gas and fertiliser flows driving up costs and raising concerns about long-term food security.
The project is being trialled at Pollybell Farm, which spans Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, and brings together researchers, farmers and energy suppliers.
If successful, the model could be rolled out more widely, offering a new way to balance food production, energy needs and environmental impact.