On this episode of the SCI Podcast, host Dom Burch speaks with Duncan Parkinson, Agriculture Client Manager at SCI and lifelong farmer. Duncan shares his experience across arable, dairy, beef, lamb, pigs and his background in quality assurance. As both a farmer and assessor, he emphasises empathy, practical knowledge, and continual improvement on farms .

🌊 What’s happening in UK rivers?

Duncan explains increasing public and regulatory scrutiny on river pollution — especially in areas like the River Wye where intensive poultry farming and population pressures meet ageing water infrastructure .

Key causes:

• Water companies: ageing sewage systems, extreme weather, overcapacity
• Agriculture: not deliberate pollution, but diffuse runoff from manure, soil and nutrients during heavy rain

Nutrients like phosphate and nitrogen fuel algae growth, reducing oxygen and harming river ecosystems (eutrophication) .

✅ What does good practice look like?

Farmers should follow basic agricultural rules:

• Soil health monitoring
• Manure and fertiliser planning & storage
• Nutrient management plans (e.g. AHDB RB209)
• Right input, right time, right amount
• Equipment maintenance & weather-aware spreading decisions

Many farms use FACTS-qualified advisors for nutrient planning, and water companies offer support grants for pollution control and infrastructure upgrades .

🛡️ Role of assurance

Rules exist, but enforcement is often reactive. Duncan helped create a proactive assurance scheme aligned to Farming Rules for Water, giving farmers and brands independent evidence of compliance and improvement .

This protects:

• Farm reputation
• Retail and brand supply chains
• Consumer trust

“You can’t just blame water companies — agriculture must be able to stand behind what it's doing.”

⚠️ Reputational risk rising

Public expectations and legal pressure are increasing. Cheap food expectations clash with demands for sustainability — retailers and integrators are expected to know their supply base and demonstrate environmental responsibility .

🚀 Innovation & future solutions

Promising developments discussed:

• Pelletising manure for transport & use in arable regions
• Biochar production from poultry litter
• Technology to remove phosphate from manures
• Better slurry handling and application systems
• More mixed-farming models to recycle nutrients locally

🧠 Key Takeaway

Protecting rivers is not just about compliance — it’s about future-proofing farming, safeguarding brand reputation, and staying ahead of regulatory and public expectations.

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