Set-aside mitigation – no longer a threat

CAP greening – sensible choices

Why do we need CFE now?

Environmental challenges – many to face

and more to come

Ministerial Support

“ …my department will work closely with farming and

environmental organisations on how the Campaign

for the Farmed Environment will deliver targets at

local level for protecting watercourses, providing

habitat for farmland birds, wildlife and pollinators.”

Owen Paterson

Secretary of State

19 December 2013

Industry-led, local delivery

• Farmer led Local Liaison Groups in

each county

• Ownership & leadership

• Facilitates communication from

ground level to national

• Information exchange platform

between farmers, industry partners

etc.

• Local Campaign Coordinators

cover whole of lowland England

• Local priorities

• Coordination of events

• Coordination of farmer contact

• Develop messages

12 other industry and conservation partners

CFE Targets

“To retain the area of land managed by farmers for

the environment over the period of CAP transition.”

• Fewer than 200 ELS agreements expire in the

eastern region between now and June 2015

• Don’t put unproductive land back into production –

sit tight until there is more information.

• Keep your options open - for the environment,

greening and the new agri-environment scheme.

What does this mean in practice?

CFE’s role in the industry

• To demonstrate that the industry is taking

leadership to improve and protect the farmed

environment

• To enable the industry to be pro-active in

environmental management within commercial farm

businesses

• To demonstrate the value of environmental

management to a farm business

• To help farmers make decisions on greening and

agri-environment schemes

Cap Greening

Defra has adopted the three measures set out in

the EU Regulation:

Crop diversification

Permanent grassland

Ecological Focus Areas

Organic units are exempt from greening.

Greening:

crop diversification

• On holdings with more than 10ha of arable land, at

least 2 crops must be grown, and with more than 30

ha, 3 crops.

• Holdings which are in more than 75% grass or

fallow and have 30ha or less of arable land are

exempt.

• A single crop must not cover more than 75% arable

land, two main crops not more than 95%.

• Winter and spring varieties are counted as different

crops. Both temporary grass and fallow land are

considered to be crops.

Greening:

permanent grassland

• The ratio of permanent grassland to total eligible

agricultural area in England must not fall by more

than 5%. This represents little change. Currently the situation is that if the ratio falls

by 5%, monitoring of the percentage is required and further ploughing/

conversion may be disallowed; if it falls by10% farmers who have already

ploughed/converted will have to reinstate grassland. However, there will

be a new baseline date.

• Ploughing or conversion to more intensive

management will not be allowed on designated

environmentally sensitive grasslands.

Greening:

Ecological Focus Areas

• Holdings with more than 15ha of arable land must

have EFAs. Farms with more than 75% grassland

(PP or TG) and 30ha or less arable land are exempt.

• EFAs of up to 5% arable must be chosen from a list

of options; possibilities include fallow land, field

margins, hedges, trees, areas with green cover/

nitrogen fixing crops. Options for pollinators are key.

• WE HAVE NO MORE DETAIL and there is much to

be decided: weighting, equivalent areas etc.

Shape of the new Common Agricultural Programme

CAP

2014-2020

Pillar 1

sCMO

Direct payment

s

Greening

Pillar 2 –

RDP

New land management

schemes

Growth Farming Competitivenes

s

LEADER

87% £3.1Bn,

of which £2.2Bn committed

£3.5Bn

5% £177M 4%

£140M

4% £140M

£11.6Bn

Rural Development

Programme

• Improve the environment;

• Promote strong rural

economic growth; and

• Increase the productivity

and efficiency of farming

and forestry businesses.

• CAP consultation outcomes announced in

December 2013

• The CAP will retain its two pillars:

• Pillar 1 for direct payments to farmers and

market control measures; and

• Pillar 2 to promote rural development

Rural Development Programme

• Farmers, growers, foresters, land owners, rural businesses

or rural communities could potentially benefit from RD

Programme funding

• The current socio-economic funding is drawing to a close,

however another round of the Farming and Forestry

Improvement Scheme aimed at helping farming, forestry

and horticultural businesses in England to become more

efficient at using resources opened on 04 February.

• Please contact the East of England RDPE Delivery Team

for further details:

0300 0600541; rdpedeliveryeast@defra.gsi.gov.uk

12

Agri-environment schemes

in 2014

• Organic ELS and Uplands ELS continue as normal

• HLS open for expiring Countryside Stewardships

and ESAs, SSSIs and other high priority cases, and to

meet WFD criteria. Early closing date for applications

• ELS open for expiring Countryside Stewardships

and ESAs which do not meet HLS requirements

• Don’t let greening stop you – get-out clause

The new Environmental

Land Management scheme

• A single scheme, with different tiers accessing the

full suite or more limited options

• The integration into one scheme of former

Environmental Stewardship, Woodland Grant

Schemes and possibly capital grants schemes such

as CSF and RDPE

• Focused, targeted and competitive: smaller budget,

and in early years much of this will be taken up by

existing agreements

The new Environmental

Land Management scheme

• Opens for application in 2015

• Single start date of 1 January

• A 5-year agreement

• Capital grant scheme

• Directed or incentivised options – more advice will

be available

• Local priorities of key importance

The new Environmental

Land Management scheme

• Emphasis in the scheme on co-ordinated/

collective landscape-scale applications

• Each farmer has their own agreement, and can

contribute to the whole at different levels

• Payment for facilitator to “join up” options, but

groups to be farmer-led

• Similarities to the “catchment based approach”, but

not just river-based (woodlands, other landscapes)

What does this mean for me?

• Be aware of the need for a voluntary approach to a

range of environmental issues, including pollinators

• Take advantage of CFE and industry partners for

information and advice

• Use environmental options smartly: the right option

in the right place with the right management • identify, protect and enhance the important habitats on your farm

• enhance water and soil quality

• provide a year-round food supply for wildlife

• Take advice on how greening might sit with your

ELS or HLS, or a new scheme

DON’T

PANIC!

CFE – Industry-Led Ally for Farmers

All farmers, land managers and advisers have a part to

play in the Campaign for the Farmed Environment:

empowering the industry to demonstrate leadership on

the environment

For free advice telephone

01223 841507 or email:

eastanglia@cfeonline.org.uk

www.cfeonline.org.uk