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environmental land management schemes

The Sustainable Farming Incentive: what’s new, improved and coming in 2022

Today we published further information on the Sustainable Farming Incentive. You can find it, in full, on GOV.UK. In this post, I’ll share a summary of the things that are new, the things we’ve changed following feedback and what you can expect in 2022.

Test and trials: Tackling climate change and extinction - the farm that’s showing the way

Cholderton is a 1000-hectare estate on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border. It participated in one of Defra's environmental land management test and trials to develop a model land management plan based on the exemplary principles adopted by the estate. In this guest post, Merrick Denton-Thompson shares his view.

Meet the team: Policy Adviser Emma and her background in agriculture

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes, Farmers in Defra, Things we've learned
Emma Bailey-Beech

In this post, Emma Bailey-Beech writes about her background in agriculture and how it led to working on the Future Farming and Countryside Programme. We’re grateful to have people in the team with hands-on experience in the farming sector, and can bring it to bear on our work. 

Tests and trials: innovative payment mechanisms

One area we’re exploring in tests and trials is the role that innovative payment mechanisms might play in future environmental land management schemes. In this post we share what we’ve learned about reverse auctions so far in tests and trials. 

Update on the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot 

In July, we opened the applications window for farmers to join our Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot.  In this post, Lisa Applin (Rural Payments Agency) and Tom Lewis (Future Farming and Countryside Programme) share the results of the application process, what the team learned and what they will do next.

Catch up on our Landscape Recovery information sessions

Landscape Recovery is 1 of our 3 new environmental land management schemes. Over the summer, we held some information sessions about the scheme. The sessions were recorded. So, if you weren't able to attend, you can still learn more by watching any of the 3 videos below.

Answering farmers' questions about the Sustainable Farming Incentive - part 2

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Conversations we're having, environmental land management schemes, Q&A
TFF part 2

The Farming Forum recently held a Q&A session with Janet Hughes, Defra’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme Director. Farmers were invited to submit their questions about the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Clive Bailye, Director of the Farming Forum, put the most-asked questions to Janet. This is part 2 of 2.

What we’re learning about collaboration through tests and trials

Two people in conversation at an agricultural show

One goal of Defra’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme is to help farmers and land managers achieve bigger, better environmental benefits. There’s a lot that farmers can do individually on their own land, but there are often circumstances where it makes more sense for several people or businesses to join forces and collaborate on something that benefits all of them, as well as the environment. We want to encourage more collaboration like this.

Measuring success: the role of self-assessment

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: environmental land management schemes, Guest post

Farmers can play a critical role in tackling the nature and climate crises, but do they also have an important role in assessing the health of the natural environment too? This is the question the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) posed as part of a Defra-funded test and trial.

Answering farmers' questions about the Sustainable Farming Incentive

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Conversations we're having, environmental land management schemes, Q&A, Things we're doing

The Farming Forum recently held a Q&A session with Janet Hughes, Defra’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme Director. Farmers were invited to submit their questions about the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Clive Bailye, Director of the Farming Forum, put the most-asked questions to Janet. This is part 1 of 2.