Anaerobic digestion
Published 12 June 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/farm-practices-survey-february-2025/anaerobic-digestion
Anaerobic digestion is a natural process in which plant and animal materials are broken down by micro-organisms in the absence of oxygen, producing a biogas that can be used to generate electricity and heat. The process allows more efficient capture and treatment of the nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions from animal slurries and manures than can be achieved by spreading directly onto land. The remaining digestate is rich in nutrients and can be used as fertiliser. The data below looks at the proportion of farmers who are currently processing any waste, crops or feedstocks in this way.
Figure 1 Proportion of holdings processing any waste, crops or feedstocks by anaerobic digestion
| Year | Holdings processing any waste by anaerobic digestion |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 9% |
| 2022 | 8% |
| 2023 | 9% |
| 2024 | 12% |
| 2025 | 13% |
The majority of farms do not currently process slurries, crops or other feedstocks by anaerobic digestion. In 2021, just 9% of farms were processing by anaerobic digestion but this has increased in recent years, rising to 13% in 2025 (Figure 1).
The most common material type processed was “crops (including silage)” with 8% of farmers choosing this option in 2025 (Figure 2). The next most popular material type was “slurries/manures” with 7% of farmers processing this material type.
Figure 2 Proportion of holdings processing by anaerobic digestion by waste type
| Response | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Crops (including silage) | 8% |
| Slurries/Manures | 7% |
| Any feedstocks | 5% |
| Other feedstocks from outside your farm | 3% |
| Other feedstocks from your farm | 3% |