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Know How / Biodiversity

The new payments scheme will focus on farm land management practices which protect and restore wildlife and plant life. We look at ways you can create habitats on your land, where wildlife and plants can thrive, and how they can benefit your crops and livestock.

ARABLE

How 'mega-cluster' project benefits farming and nature

A project linking farmers and private investors across a 12,500ha area of Sussex is aiming to support nature recovery and food production on a landscape scale.  The Weald to Waves…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How trading natural capital can help recoup BPS losses

Farmer interest in trading natural capital is in the ascendancy. Legislation has just been passed requiring house builders and commercial developers to deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity…

ARABLE

How a coastal group's audit is focusing biodiversity effort

The North Norfolk Coastal Group came together with the aim of collaborating to bring nature back to the farmed environment. The group represents more than 55,000ha of coastal habitat –…

PLANNING PERMISSION

BNG delayed until January 2024 with more guidance awaited

The start date for developers to deliver at least 10% improved biodiversity associated with their sites has been pushed back to January next year. Biodiversity net gain (BNG) obligations were…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Transition Farm Walk visits carbon-negative arable unit

Farmers Weekly Transition Farmer Andy Bason provided an insight into his carbon-negative, Hampshire-based arable unit during a recent farm walk.  The Transition Farm Walk saw more than 80 visitors descend…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

How to deliver landscape-scale change through farm clusters

Farmer cluster groups are meeting local environmental priorities both on their own farms and beyond their boundaries. The term “cluster” was adopted, because it describes how members of these groups…

FARM POLICY

Farming needs £4.4bn a year, say green lobby groups

Tougher environmental targets and higher costs to achieve them mean a substantial increase in Treasury funding for farm support is needed, according to a new report from green lobby groups.…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

New BNG detail includes 'stacking payments' option

Landowners and occupiers will be able to stack biodiversity net gain payments alongside nutrient mitigation credits and other environmental payments on the same land. Confirmation that stacking will be allowed…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How upland farmers are pooling resources to plug funding gap

As Defra starts to roll out more of its Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, ministers and civil servants have been quick to claim there is plenty in it for upland…

NEWS

Insect listening devices installed on pig farms

Pig production and processing company Cranswick has installed hi-tech insect listening devices on its farms to help increase biodiversity.  The units developed by ag-tech company AgriSound have been installed on…

FARM POLICY

Countryside Stewardship to become second tier of ELM scheme

Changes to the way the government’s flagship Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is to be implemented in England are expected in the next month, with plans afoot to roll over…

BIODIVERSITY

RSPB widens farm certification scheme for nature recovery

An arable farm certification scheme focused on nature recovery and improving biodiversity has been expanded to the dairy, livestock and horticulture sectors as part of the RSPB’s conservation efforts. Farmers…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Land use framework 'vital to balance needs of food and nature'

A national land use framework is the “single most important” step the government can take to drive decision-making over land use for food and energy production, nature and climate action,…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Groundswell stirs debate over certified regen standards

Debate is intensifying over whether regenerative agriculture should be properly monitored and certified to prevent people jumping on the bandwagon without abiding by its principles. The increasing popularity of regen…

ENVIRONMENT

Q&A: How trading natural capital credits could work

With input costs rising exponentially and production margins squeezed, farmers are showing increasing interest in the opportunities that might arise from trading their natural capital. It is, therefore, little surprise…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Key lessons from £12m arable farming and wildlife project

A better understanding of the contribution made by nature-based solutions to improving the resilience of productive arable land and its ability to deliver higher yields has come from the recently…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Hedgerows and grazing are transition focus for upland farm

Better grazing management and more hedgerows are among the long-term targets for upland beef and sheep producer Irwel Jones. A third-generation farmer, Mr Jones, took over the 375ha Aberbranddu Farm,…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How agroforestry venture adds value to natural capital

Line after line of newly planted trees stretch across a 13ha field on the outskirts of the village of Barton Bendish in west Norfolk. The trees are part of an…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How natural capital is thriving at pioneering farm

A working experimental farm in the small Leicestershire village of Loddington is developing groundbreaking natural capital schemes that benefit farmers.  The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Allerton Project has been…

ARABLE

Video: Why cows and trees are part of Essex arable business

George Young is making big changes to his arable business with nature at its heart. Read the full report and watch the videos for more detail on his tree planting…