Farmers ahead of the game on conservation

“Farmers are the original friends of the Earth; they know that we cannot have a healthy economy, healthy society or healthy individuals unless we have a healthy environment.”

So begins a new report from the Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust (GWCT), which aims to demonstrate the benefits of integrating conservation and agricultural production, and comes at a time when policymakers are trying to achieve just that.

In an introductory message, Defra secretary Michael Gove says the report’s nine case studies show that agri-environment schemes can drive land management and food production in a way that benefits the environment.

See also: Green schemes a ‘no-brainer’ for farmers, says Eustice

He also uses the platform to deliver an upbeat message about a post-Brexit farm support system, based on environmental incentives.

“In the UK we are fortunate to have some of the most talented and committed farmers in the world,” he says. “When we leave the Common Agricultural Policy we will be able to incentivise the kinds of collaboration and innovation that bring the transformative, landscape-scale changes outlined in our 25-Year Environment Plan.”

Mr Gove says he is looking forward to working alongside the trust “to create a system that conserves our environment and wildlife, alongside profitable and wholesome food production”.

Vital role

Former Defra farm minister James Paice, who is now GWCT chairman of trustees, also calls on government to fully appreciate the vital role played by farmers in maintaining the environment.

“When you consider that farmland covers around 17.2m ha, compared to less than 250,000ha of RSPB and Wildlife Trust nature reserves, the vital importance of private stewardship on farmed land becomes clear,” says Sir James.

There are great opportunities to allow flood plains to fulfil their original function, for uplands to act as massive sponges and carbon reservoirs, and woodlands to be brought back into management.

But Sir James stresses that none of these environmental goals produce an income.

“We must never forget that a farmer’s main aim is to produce food and to make a living from doing so,” he says. “If our farmers are to survive outside the protection of the CAP and against cheaper imports, a post-Brexit scheme should accept that maintaining and enhancing the environment costs money.”

Less red tape

Sir James also urges the government to ensure valuable work time is not taken up by red tape.

“The system must trust farmers to get on without a myriad of rules and inspectors getting in their way,” he adds.

“Past experience has shown that, where funds are more specifically targeted and farmers respond voluntarily, rather than through compulsion, better outcomes can be achieved.” 

Referring to his time in parliament, Sir James encourages farmers to embrace environmental measures and weave them into their business plans. 

“For many years farmers asked me whether the government wanted them to produce birds or food, to which my answer was ‘it is not an either/or question’. Both are possible and I don’t want to have to go to a reserve to see wildlife.

“I want to be able to see wildlife as I go about my daily business and the case studies in our report demonstrate that this can be done when the policy provides the right platform.”

Case study: Norfolk Estate

From six wild grey partridge in 2003, a Sussex-based conservation project has built a sustainable population of 300 breeding pairs and seen dramatic increases in other bird species.

In 2002, GWCT scientist Dick Potts warned the Duke of Norfolk and estate manager Peter Knight that the grey partridge would be extinct on the South Downs within 10 years.

Determined to reverse the decline, they established the Peppering Partridge Project on a 900ha (2,200-acre) area of the Norfolk Estate in West Sussex and the recovery has been remarkable.

The 300 pairs of wild English partridge create a September stubble count of more than 2,000 birds. That figure is set against the national trend, which has seen numbers decline by 93% since 1970.

Monitoring has shown the management system also benefits other bird species, including:

• Skylark up 57% since 2010
• Linnet up 94%
• Yellowhammer up 20%
• Lapwing up 71%
• Corn buntings up 30%

The start of the project coincided with an increase in agri-environment schemes funded by Natural England.

The Peppering Partridge Project has been hailed as perhaps the best example in the country of how these agreements can achieve efficient food production and effective wildlife conservation.

Fertiliser, herbicides and pesticides are applied to 90% of each field in the normal way, enabling profitable yields. All the conservation is carried out around the edges, with stewardship payments roughly compensating for income foregone.

Nine miles of hedges have been planted to create wildlife corridors and the resulting smaller fields are sown with a more complex rotation.

However, the management team urges policymakers to take note that the weedkiller glyphosate has been fundamental in controlling the build-up of weeds. Without it, they say, conservation headlands would be impractical, putting the Peppering Project at risk.

Case study: Whitburgh Farm, Midlothian

Alastair Salvesen has increased partridge numbers at Whitburgh Farm while facing challenges from the weather, predators and impractical green scheme rules.

Despite the challenges, beneficial habitats have been increased to cover 7% of the mixed arable and beef farm, resulting in an increase of wild grey partridges from 0 to 400 birds in the past 10 years.

Pasture for 180 Aberdeen Angus cattle and 200 sheep is concentrated at one end of the farm, with crops including oilseed rape, winter wheat, spring wheat, spring barley and winter barley, grown on the remainder.

The arable land has been divided into quarters, with a rotation of wheat, barley and oilseed rape in each one.

This mosaic gives birds a wide range of habitats close together, from stubbles for winter roosting to insect-rich areas for young broods.

A beetle bank of grasses and wildflowers also offers food and shelter in the middle of the field and refuge from the farm’s numerous birds of prey. Along with the increase in partridge numbers, yellowhammer, sparrow, lapwing, song thrush and tawny owl populations have also risen.

However, the farm was forced to abandon a five-year stewardship scheme because Scottish government rules prevented using herbicides on thistles.

Topping was approved under the scheme, but endangered the partridges at nesting. Controlling thistles later meant the seed had already dispersed and quitting the scheme was the only option.

Outside the agri-environment scheme, the farm comes under basic greening rules that require 5% of its land to be taken out of production.

Mr Salvesen says he remains committed to the environmental work, but margins are tight and he calls on politicians to use the farm’s plight to devise a more practical support system beyond Brexit.

Case study: Mark Chattey

Mark Chattey from Langford in East Devon runs an Approved Finishing Unit for beef animals from TB-restricted herds and sells produce to Waitrose’s premium Dovecote Park label.

The conventionally farmed land is fenced off from the conservation area, which has grown in size over the past 15 years.

It now occupies 35ha of the total 115ha, with 11 ponds and a 1ha woodland – planted to celebrate the birth of Mr Chattey’s daughter, Evelyn.

The copse was made possible thanks to a Forestry Commission grant and Mr Chattey also received a payment from the Environment Agency to protect the stream running through the farm.

That money funded the five miles of fencing to create the “conservation area”.

Although he has received grant money, Mr Chattey says better guidance is needed on form filling, which is more complicated than necessary and puts off farmers who may otherwise take up options.

This year, Mr Chattey entered into a Natural England agri-environment scheme for the first time.

His mid-tier agreement is worth about £10,000 a year for five years for planting annual cover crops, plus £60,000 for capital works including putting in two miles of hedges.

The grant will cover the costs of seed and the contractors to drill it, but he still believes schemes need to be more flexible and provide better performance-linked rewards.

Although there are challenges to overcome, Mr Chattey says the farm’s otters, kingfishers, woodcock and waterfowl have left him in no doubt that it is possible to run a profitable business and find space for nature.