Six more sustainable farming standards have been released today (Thursday) by Defra as part of the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) that replaces Basic Payment Scheme.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is intended to give farmers a range of paid actions to produce food sustainably while protecting nature and enhancing the environment.

These actions include managing hedgerows for wildlife, planting nectar-rich wildflowers and managing crop pests without the use of insecticides.

The incentives are aimed at making food production more resilient whilst contributing towards the UK’s environmental goals on carbon, biodiversity, water quality and net zero.

The six new standards released today are:

  • Hedgerows standard - farmers will be paid to assess the condition of hedgerows and manage them in a way that will work for wildlife and improve biodiversity
  • Improved grassland standard - farmers will be paid for actions such as taking grassland out of management, managing grassland for winter bird food and establishing and maintaining buffer strips at the edge of fields – helping wildlife and biodiversity
  • Low input grassland standard - farmers will be paid to manage low input grassland to improve biodiversity, soil management and water quality 
  • Arable and horticultural land standard - farmers will be paid for actions including establishing and maintaining areas of nectar-rich flower mix, establishing and maintaining flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips, providing winter bird food, establishing and maintaining grassy field corners and blocks and establishing and maintaining buffer strips   
  • Integrated pest management standard - farmers will be paid to carry out an assessment and produce an integrated pest management plan, establishing and maintaining flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips, including payments for not using insecticides and for planting companion crops    
  • Nutrient management standard – farmers will be paid to make an assessment and produce a report of their management of nutrients, helping to encourage them to understand how they are managing nutrients and to take further action to deliver environmental benefits and there are payments for those who incorporate legumes into the crop and grassland management

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “Farmers are at the heart of our economy - producing the food on our tables as well as being the custodians of the land it comes from.   

“These two roles go hand-in-hand and we are speeding up the roll out of our farming schemes so that everyone can be financially supported as they protect the planet while producing food more sustainably.”  

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The Government has also detailed what farmers will be paid to deliver through an enhanced version of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which will see around 30 additional actions available to farmers by the end of 2024.

Countryside Stewardship Plus will reward farmers for taking coordinated action, working with neighbouring farms and landowners to support climate and nature aims. It is intended to deliver the same environmental ambition previously planned for Local Nature Recovery.

The scheme will also be improved so farmers benefit from greater flexibility over when they can apply and how they manage their agreements, with improved access for tenant farmers and increased access to Higher Tier options and agreements.    

Further details on the new standards and payment rates being rolled for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Plus is available on gov.uk.

Robin Milton, a livestock farmer from Exmoor, said:  “We’ve been on three standards to give the SFI pilot a trial run because we felt it would benefit our business.   

“The application process was straight-forward and, although the guidance was lengthy, I learned quite a bit and we ended up doing more than we needed to – which isn’t a bad thing.”