Regenerative dairy farming shows measurable soil carbon boost in UK trial

Regenerative dairy farming is showing early signs of boosting soil carbon, with new UK data revealing measurable gains of up to 8.9 tonnes per hectare on farm.

Initial results from a major soil monitoring programme led by First Milk, in partnership with Agricarbon, show carbon stocks increased across three farms re-tested nearly four years after baseline sampling.

The findings come amid growing pressure on agriculture to demonstrate credible carbon reductions and back environmental claims with robust data.

While based on just three farms and not yet representative of the wider sector, the results provide encouraging early insight into how changes in farming practice can influence soil carbon.

Mark Brooking, chief impact officer at First Milk, said the data helps address long-standing questions around measurement.

“There has been a lot of debate about whether soil carbon can be measured reliably and whether sequestration can be demonstrated at farm level,” he said.

“What these results show is that when you measure properly, and when farmers adopt regenerative practices, we can see real changes happening in the soil.”

He added: “This is early data, but it is extremely encouraging.”

To build this picture, First Milk established a detailed soil carbon baseline between 2021 and 2022 across 109 farms.

Around 118,000 soil samples were collected to a depth of one metre and analysed using laboratory-based methods, creating one of the most comprehensive datasets on soil carbon in dairy farming.

Three farms approaching their four-year milestone were selected for early re-measurement to assess whether changes could be detected.

All three recorded increases in carbon stocks, although the scale varied between farms.

The strongest gains were seen on farms with higher levels of regenerative activity, suggesting a link between management practices and carbon outcomes.

To understand these changes, Agricarbon said direct measurement remains key.

“Direct measurement is the most robust way to understand what is happening in soils,” said co-founder and chief financial officer Alan Strong.

“These early re-measurement results show that, where farming practices are changing, measurable increases in soil carbon can occur over relatively short periods of time.”

Looking ahead, a full five-year remeasurement programme will begin later this year, expanding sampling across First Milk’s network of more than 700 farms.

This larger dataset will help determine which practices deliver the greatest impact and provide clearer conclusions at scale.

While it is too early to identify the most effective techniques, the expanded programme is expected to provide the evidence needed to guide future decision-making.

First Milk said its work places it at the forefront of soil carbon measurement, with one of the largest contemporary datasets in the global dairy sector.

The results are also expected to support emerging carbon reporting frameworks and provide farmers with practical guidance on managing soils.

As the evidence base grows, the findings could play a key role in shaping how the dairy sector measures, reports and delivers climate progress.