Gender equality is integral to achieving thriving nature for people and planet and addressing the twin crisis of biodiversity loss and climate change, yet fewer than 30% of the worlds scientific researchers are women (UNESCO Science Report). Despite the efforts ...
It can be difficult for farmers who wish to retire or leave the industry to do so. A lack of capital can prevent them. We think that our Lump Sum Exit Scheme could help them. Last year, we ran a consultation with farmers and other experts, and the findings supported this view. In this post, I'll share a summary and our response. I'll also cover delinked payments and an opportunity for you to help shape our work.
Today's blog looks at coverage of consultations launched to seek views on two new proposed bathing waters.
Today we are looking at media coverage of Natural England's update to the Countryside Code for land managers.
I'm pleased to say that following feedback, we are moving to a rolling application window for the rest of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.
In the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, we provided farmers with 3 different land management plan templates. Each template was developed through tests and trials. One of the templates was developed by the North Devon Pioneer tests and trial group. In this video, find out how participants Liz and Bryan, used land management planning to prepare their farm business for the future.
In 2021, the Environment Agency outlined how it would reach net zero by 2030. Here, Sustainable Business Manager Simon Dawes looks back at the challenges and achievements - and anticipates what's yet to come in 2022.
Today's coverage looks at Defra's response to a new WWF report, calling on the government to deliver decarbonisation strategies to help farmers shifting towards nature-friendly approaches to tackling climate change.
On the 8th of February, we provided a update on the joint investigation carried out by Defra and partner agencies, looking into the deaths of crabs and lobster found washed up on the North East coast between October and December ...
The Environment Agency's New Reactors Assessment Team has been leading an assessment of a nuclear power station design since 2017. Here the team's manager, Alan McGoff, reflects on the five year project and looks forward to regulating the nuclear industry ...
New guidance will help to inform woodland expansion in England that works with breeding wader conservation.
The Landscape Recovery scheme is for landowners and managers who want to take a more radical and large-scale approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. I'm pleased to say that the application window for the first round of Landscape Recovery pilot projects is now open.
In the sixth episode of the Future Farming Podcast, Programme Director Janet Hughes talks to Tim Parton. Tim is Farm Manager at Brewood Park Farm, Staffordshire, where he manages 300 hectares using regenerative agriculture methods. Find out how Tim moved to no-till, reduced insecticide and fungicide use and brewed his own nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
I'm fortunate to be the Director of the Greener Farming and Fisheries Programme in Natural England. There's a wide remit under the greener farming umbrella but one area that I want to focus on here is Natural England's role in ...
At the end of last year, we published a manual on the Improving Farm Productivity grant, which is part of the Farming Transformation Fund. Today we opened the window for applications. We're also hosting a webinar next week for you to find out more.
The 2-step application process for the Improving Farm Productivity grant starts with an online eligibility checker. Unfortunately, the online checker was scoring dairy sector applications 'weak' or 'average'. It did not appear possible to score highly. This error was investigated and a glitch in the scoring was identified. It has been fixed. Those who were deterred from applying because of this are encouraged to try again. No one will be disadvantaged because of this.
There has been coverage in the Times, Guardian, Business Green and elsewhere about the Government's priorities set out today for the water industry, including doing more to protect the environment and reduce storm overflows. The new Strategic Policy Statement ...
Today we have published our Climate Change Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan. The plan has been produced, along with many other organisations, to report under the third round of the Adaptation Reporting Power of the Climate Change Act 2008. As ...
The Tree Production Innovation Fund aims to support innovative projects to increase and diversify domestic tree production. In our second blog post on the successful projects recieving funding, read about three more.
I am delighted to announce that the new Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel meets for the first time today, which is an important step in our work to deliver more for and from England's landscapes. Landscape is one of Natural ...
There has been widespread coverage of our announcement launching three vital nature recovery projects aimed at tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis. The Independent, Evening Standard, ITV News Online, Express and Star & others covered the news positively. The projects - ...
The UK's devolved administrations already work closely to ensure their policies are aligned. However, to share scientific ideas, solutions and innovations, Defra set up the UK Agriculture Partnership. It launched today and we'd like to share a little more about it in this post.
We look at the recent coverage of our new 'Put Down Roots' woodland creation campaign.
Farm visits help us to better understand how farmers work and what's important to them. In this post, I'd like to share what I learned during my visit to Hampden Bottom Farm in Buckinghamshire.
Recently we updated our standing advice to help local planning authorities take planning decisions which protect and enhance England's irreplaceable ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees and our rare and threatened species. Natural England's role is to provide advice to ...
