Growing evidence of Environmental Land Management benefits, but key improvements needed

The Government’s Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) have been under much scrutiny since pilots began in 2021, as part of a wave of measures to deliver 'public money for public goods'.  

Now its latest report, The National Audit Office (NAO) has given some results on the scheme and did serve up some good news on ELMs to date. These include responding to feedback to improve the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme and increasing the number of farmers signing up to over 40,000 by April 2024, exceeding their original target.

However, the report did have much more to say on areas for improvement: 

• The phased rollout has enabled Defra to improve SFI as it is delivered, but uncertainty remains for farmers about how the scheme might change – making it difficult for them to plan for the future of their business.  
• The advice and support currently available is ‘not yet adequate’ to support farmers to make changes to their business. ‘Whole-farm’ advice needs to be offered, rather than focussing too much on business support. 
• Progress of SFI is currently framed in terms of how many farmers are participating, but measures for success need to be introduced that monitor its impact on the environment.  Specifically, quantifiable objectives for pesticide reduction and species abundance would enable better scrutiny of the scheme’s success in future.  
• ELMs need to be situated within a wider Land Use Framework, to balance food production and environmental targets with other commitments, such as housing and energy. Without a Land Use Framework, it is difficult to evaluate the feasibility of the government’s targets for housing provision, food security, and the environment – and how these might be connected to achieve better outcomes for both people and the planet. 

Complimenting this, there has also been a new report just published by Natural England providing  key evidence to support these recommendations. For example, one study found that for mobile species e.g. butterflies and moths, landscape-scale action is effective at increasing numbers; butterfly numbers increased by 53% where there was a high level of participation in agri-environmental schemes in the surrounding landscape. This is just one example of the mounting evidence for nature-friendly farming, which is why it is vital that Defra facilitates participation between farmers at a landscape level.

Natural England’s report also cited a study that modelled different land-use scenarios to balance competing pressures on our land for food, energy and environmental targets. Under the most environmentally ambitious model, researchers predicted that food production could be reduced by up to 25%. Trade-offs between meeting environmental targets and food production are unavoidable - which is why a strategic approach to land-use is vital in building food security, supporting sensible land use decisions that help deliver the right mix of outputs in the right places. This study reinforces the necessity of bringing forward the Land Use Framework, expressed in the NAO’s report. It also emphasises the need to combine sustainable farming with other measures, such as dietary changes and reducing food waste.

Read our recent joint briefing on the key policies needed to ensure a productive and resilient food system that feeds people well, while benefiting the planet. 

Will White, Sustainable Farming Coordinator at Sustain, commented:

“We need more certainty for farmers so that they can plan their businesses – particularly with legacy schemes currently being wound down. Without a whole-farm approach or a land use framework, ELM schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive risk creating a patchwork of isolated activities, missing the opportunity to deliver multiple benefits for nature and productivity on the same farm. We welcome the NAO’s recommendation for ‘whole-farm’ advice, which is particularly useful for farmers at the beginning of their transition to more sustainable methods, and which Sustain has been campaigning for several years.”