Today, The Wildlife Trusts publish a briefing – Environmental Land Management schemes & Food Security – the case for increased investment in nature for UK Food Security – ahead of the Oxford Farm Conferences this week. The Wildlife Trusts are calling for:

• A plan to deliver at least 3,000 Countryside Stewardship Agreements per year by 2028, supported by increased resourcing for Natural England to process and offer agreements and a ring-fenced budget.
• An increase to the annual farming budget to £3.1 billion/year in England to support nature-friendly farming, safeguard livelihoods, improve animal welfare and meet critical climate, nature and water targets.
• A focus on ensuring that Landscape Recovery projects get “off the shelf” and enter the implementation phase, delivering real outcomes on the ground.
• Publication of an outcomes-focused Land Use Framework which sets out an overarching framework that guides prioritisation for land use change, and a national spatial plan that broadly identifies constraints and opportunities for land use.

The Wildlife Trusts will be involved in several events during the Oxford Farming Conferences highlighting the importance of nature’s recovery to farm businesses, food security and climate adaptation. See list of events further below. 

Last month, the newly published UK Food Security Report was clear that the restoration of nature is critical to feed ourselves in the future. Last winter, 2023/4, the number of flood warnings on England’s best farmland hit a record high of over 1000, and 2024 was the second worst harvest on record for England. Analysis by the ECIU estimates that this equates to a £600m reduction in revenue for farmers in comparison to 2023.

Climate change impacts are starting to bite at a time when the farming sector faces significant concerns around the future of farming policy. The budget announcement in October meant uncertainty for family farms following changes to Agricultural Property Relief, the accelerated withdrawal of EU-era payments, and on whether new schemes will be online in time to help farmers most at risk.  

The Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, is expected to make a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference. The Wildlife Trusts are calling on Government to show urgent leadership in setting a course for the future of farming in England, which supports farmers whilst also achieving the outcomes for nature and climate that are essential to secure a prosperous future for all of us.   

The Wildlife Trusts’ Senior Land Use Policy Manager, Barnaby Coupe, says:

“The Government needs to outline a clear future for nature-friendly farm schemes as a matter of extreme urgency. The ambitions of too many farmers are being stifled by a lack of certainty about what actions will be available to them, and when they will be able to access payments.

“Hundreds of farmers who were early adopters of nature-friendly farming practices are locked into lower-paying EU-era legacy schemes while they wait for Government to open access to new schemes. Access to this funding is vital to ensure these businesses continue to create fantastic outcomes for nature and climate.

“The Government is expected to publish a Farming Roadmap in the new year, and it is imperative that this comprises a predictable, long-term and sustainable plan to support farmers along the transition to nature-friendly and climate adapted farming.”

The Wildlife Trusts at the Oxford Farming Conferences

Wild LIVE: Are our Farms Future Proof? Wednesday 8 January, 6–7pm

Online or in person at Old Fire Station, 40 George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ

Chair: Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts; Speakers: Debbie Wilkins, Nature-Friendly Farmer, Pete Falloon, Science Lead for Food Security at the Met Office, and Tim Coates, Chief Investment Officer at Great Yellow and advisor to Oxbury Agricultural Bank

Join us for this joint live event with Nature Friendly Farming Network during the Oxford Farming Conferences. Our expert panel will be asked “Are our farms future proof?” and discuss the extent to which food and farming in the UK is prepared for a changing climate, and the role that nature can play in supporting resilient farm businesses. 

You can register to join this event in person in Oxford or register to join the event online via our YouTube livestream at www.wildlifetrusts.org/events/2024-01-08-wild-live-farms-future-proof

The Future for Sustainable Farming — Maximum Sustainable Output. Thursday 9 January, 2–3:30pm

Oxford Real Farming Conference, Town Hall, St Aldate’s Room

Chair: Barnaby Coupe; Speakers: Nic Renison, Johnnie Balfour, Chris Clark, Denise Walton

More and more farmers are discovering that farming with nature can not only help restore lost wildlife and habitats but can also help farms to become more environmentally sustainable, more resilient to unbudgeted events, and more profitable. The path to this better future is encapsulated in the concept of maximum sustainable output (MSO). The principles behind MSO have been set out in Less is More published by the RSPB et al, Farming at The Sweet Spot published by The Wildlife Trusts and Nature Friendly Farming, and the latest 5M Books publication The Profitable Farm — Balancing Business, Nature and Energy through MSO.

Enhancing Biological Pest Control: The Food Spray Approach. Thursday 9 January, 2–3:30pm

Oxford Real Farming Conference, Town Hall, Assembly Room

Speakers: Vicki Hird, Stephanie Williamson, Atalo Belay

Discover the innovative food spray method attracting beneficial insects to comb insect pests. Produced on farm from maize and brewers yeast, more than 16,000 farmers in Benin and Ethiopia used this method to manage cotton and vegetable pests without insecticides in 2024. Meanwhile the method has been exported to India, where trials are underway by 16 organisations that support almost one million smallholder farmers. In this session, experts from the UK and Ethiopia will present the food spray approach, share their experiences of adapting it to different crops and discuss opportunities for UK farmers.

Policy and Practice: Navigating the Future of Pesticides. Friday 10 January, 11am – 12:30pm

Oxford Real Farming Conference, Digital Hub

Chair: Barnaby Coupe; Speakers: Denise Walton, Patrick Barker, Nick Mole

This session will aim to discuss the current ways in which pesticides are being used, and misused in a variety of farming systems, and the impacts of such use. The session will speak to policy experts and farmers who are involved in moving away from an overreliance on pesticides and discuss the current and future policies which are needed to hasten the transition to agroecological farming.

Creating Solutions for Farming on Lowland Peat. Friday 10 January, 11am – 12:30pm

Oxford Real Farming Conference, Cheng Building, Seminar Room Workshop

Chair: Vicki Hird; Speakers: Tammy Smalley, Lucia Monje-Jelfs, Laura Stratford, Julien Etienne, Robert Caudwell

Lowland carbon peat soils are precious — from storing vast amounts of carbon to being a key wildlife, food and hydrological resource. Yet they are severely degraded, leading to soil and nature loss and greenhouse gas emissions. This is partly due to major horticulture, arable and livestock production which needs to change or move elsewhere. This session is led by The Wildlife Trusts, Soil Association and Greater Lincolnshire Food Partnership. A panel of practitioners and experts who work with local growers will initiate a group discussion on key issues, and on how local dialogues, issues of place, and livelihoods matter. Small groups will then work on lowland peat production and solutions to discuss in a final wrap-up. The Wildlife Trusts will distribute a new discussion document, a Lowland Peat Briefing, at this event so do come and pick up a copy.

What Might Insect Sentience Mean for Agroecology? Friday 10 January, 2 – 3:30pm

Oxford Real Farming Conference, Town Hall, Council Chamber

Chair: Natacha Rossi, Beth Nicholls; Speakers: Andrew Crump, Vicki Hird, Cristina Amaro da Costa

What does the latest research on insect sentience mean for our view of the ecosystem services they provide, such as pollination and nutrient cycling? Biodiversity is often valued by society in terms of benefits to humans, however, as we learn more about how insects experience the world, should this reframe our valuation and understanding of the role of biodiversity in agroecological systems? This discussion between those researching, working alongside and conserving insects will be an opportunity to exchange ideas and share new perspectives on how we value nature and ecosystem services through the lens of insect sentience.