Twenty innovative East Riding farmers using ‘pop-up rainforests’ to improve soil quality and reduce flooding

The project will improve soil quality in the region, reduce nutrients entering watercourses, as well as slowing the flow of rainwater to reduce flooding risks.

The project is the latest collaboration between agricultural consultancy Future Food Solutions and utility company Yorkshire Water.

The creation of this new group of 20 farmers means more than 50,000 hectares of Yorkshire farmland is now managed using regenerative agriculture techniques.

The programme involves each farmer growing a minimum of 10 hectares of cover crops – dubbed ‘pop-up rainforests’ – each year within their standard rotations, sequestering atmospheric carbon, increasing soil organic matter, and improving the land’s capacity to hold water.

This means that fertiliser applications, particularly nitrogen, will be held in the soil profile rather than leaching off into watercourses. The improvements this method gives to soil structure also means the land can hold more water, resulting in reduced flood risk during heavy rainfall. Equally, the water held in the soil protects crops during drought.

Andrew Walker, Yorkshire Water’s catchment strategy manager, said: “Increasing soil organic matter is one of the most effective ways of combating the major environmental issues we face today.

“We’re pleased to continue our partnership with Future Food Solutions and extending the initiative to a new group of innovative farmers in the East Riding area.”