This is one of the questions being explored by 2026 Nuffield Scholar Matthew Steel.
As agriculture faces increasing pressure to reduce emissions, cut input costs and improve efficiency, many farm businesses are already evolving. Renewable energy is already part of the picture on many farms, from solar to AD, but what if the next step goes further?
Green hydrogen is starting to enter the conversation.
At its simplest, the concept sounds almost too good to be true: using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, creating a clean fuel where the only by-product is water. In theory, it offers a way for farms to produce their own energy, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and potentially create an entirely new income stream.
Matthew’s topic, “Green Hydrogen: a new product for UK agriculture to produce and sell?” is a perfect example of that.
Growing up on a family farm and now managing director of a diversified business producing potatoes, free range eggs, cereals and renewable energy, Matthew is no stranger to adapting and evolving. Like many farmers, he is constantly looking at ways to improve efficiency, strengthen the business and future-proof operations.
His interest in hydrogen began years ago, sparked by the idea of it as a clean fuel. Now, with increasing focus on decarbonisation and energy independence, that curiosity has turned into a serious question: could green hydrogen realistically work on UK farms?
As Matthew explains:
“Through my Nuffield journey, I hope to explore whether green hydrogen can be a practical fuel for production and use on UK farms… It has the potential not only to save money by reducing inputs, but also to create a new commodity to sell. After all, farmers are not just food producers; we are energy producers, so why not sell fuel as well as food?”
On paper, the opportunity is clear. It fits into a wider shift we’re already seeing across agriculture: farms becoming more diverse, more resilient businesses, generating value in multiple ways.
Through his Nuffield Scholarship, Matthew will travel to explore these questions in depth, speaking to producers, researchers and industry leaders to understand where hydrogen currently sits, and where it might realistically fit within UK agriculture.
Nuffield Scholarships give individuals across UK agriculture the opportunity to travel, research and challenge thinking around some of the industry’s biggest questions. Each year, scholars choose a topic they’re passionate about, often something that sits slightly outside the norm and spend time exploring it on a global scale, bringing back practical insights for the industry.
It allows people within the industry to step outside their day-to-day, look beyond their own farm gate, and bring back ideas, evidence and perspective that can benefit the wider sector. Not every topic leads to a clear-cut answer, but it pushes forward-thinking, challenges assumptions and opens up new possibilities.
Hydrogen may not be the answer for every farm. But with the scale of change facing agriculture, exploring ideas like this and asking difficult questions has never been more important.
Have you got a question or topic you’d like to explore? Applications for the 2027 Nuffield Scholarships are now open.
