Food and shelter for wildlife, shade for livestock, harbouring beneficial insects, creating wind breaks and aesthetic beauty… what could provide all of these benefits and so much more? Hedgerows of course!
I’m a PhD student at Royal Holloway University, co-supervised by the GWCT, passionate about hedgerows. Being an arable smallholder, I've tried to focus my work on studies which have the potential to provide financial as well as agroecological benefits to farmers. My studies so far have had an ecological focus and I have discovered that hedgerows, particularly biodiverse hedgerows, store as much soil organic carbon as woodlands. My trials also found that oilseed crops farmed using regenerate principals had significantly more parasitic wasps when adjacent to biodiverse hedgerows. These parasitic wasps in turn provide pest control benefits in the crop.
The costs involved in planting and managing hedgerows are likely a significant road block in increasing hedgerow cover on farmland, despite the many benefits they provide. Given their benefits, it’s hard to imagine there are many farmers who would not welcome financial incentives to support planting and improvement of hedgerows. Could carbon credits/trading provide a financial incentive, if a simple, transparent scheme was developed? Clear communication with the rural community of farmers and land mangers is likely to also be crucial.
With this in mind, I plan to share my findings with Defra. I have also submitted evidence to the House of Commons Environment Audit Committee, following a call for topics of enquiry in the areas of climate change, the environment, and nature. My submission makes a case for:
- The provision of financial support in hedgerow planting and management;
- Exploring carbon trading/credit opportunities as a way to provide financial benefits for farmers who plant and manage hedgerows.
Get involved
As I enter the final year of my PhD I will be focusing my research on understanding farmer's perspectives on hedgerows. I would be extremely grateful for volunteers, who are farmers, to take part in a 20 minute interview via Teams for my study. Volunteers can express interest via email.
The interviews via Teams can be arranged at a convenient time for you (including evenings) in November, December or January. No personal details will be recorded, and all data will be anonymous.