FWAG South East Farm Advice
Environmental Land Managment Scheme (ELM)
The Environmental Land Management schemes will commence in 2024. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
Although details are still being released, the focus will be “public money for public goods” or payments for enhancement of conservation or public enjoyment.
DEFRA are introducing 3 new schemes within the ELMS package, they are:
- Sustainable Farming Incentive
- Local Nature Recovery
- Landscape Recovery
Sustainable Farming Incentive
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) rewards farmers for producing public goods on their land. It will pay for actions that can have benefits anywhere in the country.
Who is eligible
To start with it will be open to all Basic Payment Scheme claimants, and later it will extend eligibility to include other farmers.
To get paid, you will have to meet standards or take actions on your farm to benefit the environment, climate or animal welfare.
You’ll still get Basic Payment Scheme funding, but they will reduce as part of the Agricultural Transition Plan.
You’ll get paid to carry out a set of actions to:
- reduce levels of sediment, nutrients and chemical pollution in water
- reduce flooding, erosion and run-off
- decrease greenhouse gas emissions
- improve carbon storage, water storage and biodiversity
How it will work
SFI is a 3-year agreement and offers capital items and management options. These options are divided by standards and each standard has a set of actions to follow. At the end of the first and second year an upgrade can be made to the agreement, by adding more land or adding standards/ increasing levels.
There are currently standards for:
- Hedgerows
- Integrated pest management
- Nutrient Management
- Improved grassland soils
- Low input Grassland
- Arable and Horticultural Land
- Arable Soils
- Improved grassland land
As well as payments for:
- A Management plan
- An Annual health and welfare review
Application deadline: Open all year
Local Nature Recovery
Local Nature Recovery is a scheme that pays for locally-specific actions to benefit the environment and climate.
Who is eligible
A wide range of farmers and land managers
How it’ll work
The scheme will pay for actions that support local nature recovery and deliver local environmental priorities. This will include:
- creating or managing and restoring natural habitats
- natural flood management
- rights of way navigation and recreation infrastructure
- education infrastructure, events and services
Dates
The scheme will begin piloting in 2022, and launch in 2024.
Landscape Recovery
Who is eligible
The scheme is for farmers and land managers in England.
How it’ll work
The scheme will support landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term projects, such as:
- restoring wilder landscapes in places where it’s appropriate
- large-scale woodland creation and restoration
- peatland and salt marsh restoration
Dates
The scheme will begin piloting around 10 projects in 2022, and launch in 2024.