• The challenge for Farm Zero is to create a model farm with net zero carbon footprint and increased biodiversity using different climate change mitigation strategies

    Methodology Used

    The project used a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the productivity and resilience of the farm.

    Life Cycle Assesment (LCA)

    BioDiversity Habitat Mapping

    Natural Capital Accounting

    Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

    LCA quantifies the total carbon emission Analysing the total environmental inputs and outputs.

    Analysing the total environmental inputs and outputs on the farm to understand overall carbon emissions and where savings can be made. It will be taking various input from various sources and quantifies the total carbon emission and recomments you the way to reduce those carbon emission

    Habitat Mapping Tool

    The Habitat Mapping tool measures the amount of habitat on your farm.

    Using high resolution satellite imagery, we have trained a model to classify habitats based on the spectral signature on their spectral signature. For example, forests reflect a particular section of the light spectrum, different from that of grasslands, allowing the model to distinguish these two habitats types. We are training to model to classify hedgerows, wetlands, peatlands, forests, grasslands and artificial surfaces, allowing us to map each of the main farmland habitats. With this model trained on data from farms in West Cork, we can apply it to high resolution satellite imagery of your farm to classify habitats, create a habitat map and then measure the percentage area of habitat on your farm.

    Natural Capital Accounting

    NCA is a way of measuring and reporting the stocks and flows of natural resources (water, soils, plants, animals)

    The Farm Zero C project followed the System of Economic And Environmental Accounting Framework, which is the accepted international standard. This allows us to highlight changes in the extent of stocks of natural capital year-by-year and the contribution of nature to our welfare, as well as any improvement or deterioration in their condition.