Exmoor’s Ambition

DEFRA Tests and Trials

The Exmoor’s Ambition Test and Trial took place between October 2019 and March 2021 and is now complete. The project was one of the first phase Test and Trials commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to contribute to the design of its new flagship Environmental Land Management (ELM) programme. The project involved 26 farmers and woodland managers across the National Park to explore how information on ‘natural capital’ combined with the land managers’ own unique knowledge of the land could be used to guide the future scheme and demonstrate how public money could be used to reward environmental benefits or ‘public goods’.

Link to full Tests and Trials  Project Report

Link to 2  page summary

Poster

The next five years will see huge changes in the way government supports farming in England. The Basic Payment Scheme and current agri-environment schemes are being phased out and a new Environmental Land Management scheme will be piloted next year before being rolled out in 2024. EHFN  has been at the forefront of work to shape the new scheme and is supporting a ‘test and trial’ that involves 25 holdings on Exmoor, large and small.  Details of what the scheme will pay for and how it will operate are starting to emerge from Defra. Robert Deane, who is helping to run the Exmoor ‘test and trial’, has kindly given an update on Defra’s plans for the new scheme and how it could affect Exmoor farms. This presentation was held over Zoom this week (30/07)  with over 30 land managers/ farmers taking part in the discussion. If you missed the zoom meeting please find the link to the presentations below:

Please click on the links below to access the videos in two parts

Part 1 What we know of Defra Plans

Part 2 Progress with our Test and Trial

Download the presentations here

Click here to take a look at the recent article Farmers Weekly produced on ‘How Defra ELM Trial is taking shape on Exmoor’

Exmoor’s Ambition: Proposals for post-Brexit farm and environmental support

Our transformative proposal for sustaining and enhancing Exmoor’s farmed landscapes 
and communities after Brexit.

The vote to leave Europe in June 2016 led to significant debate and concern around the future of Exmoor’s landscape, 

economy and farming community.


During 2017, the Government, through the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), encouraged the people of Exmoor to develop new ideas for incentivising the wide range of public benefits provided by farming and other land management.  In response to this, and to a clear appetite from the Exmoor farming community to influence future policy and investment,  a steering group was set up to explore the potential for a locally designed scheme.


The steering group comprises the Exmoor Hill Farming Network, ENPA, Exmoor Society, Natural England, RSPB and private landowners. Robin Milton, the Authority Chairman is chair.


Robert Deane of Rural Focus was commissioned to work with the Steering group, local people, farmers and wider stakeholders  to develop the concept. Professor Janet Dwyer of CCRI was asked to consider governance models and additional support was received from Robin Wight of the Engine Group on publicity and marketing.


In a Nutshell


Exmoor’s Ambition is for a single locally-delivered scheme which:


Has the concept of natural capital at its heart;


Is driven by results and evidence of what works;


Uses trust and co-operation to replace regulation and form-filling;


Encourages new thinking, especially from the next generation;


Is co-designed and delivered by farmers and land managers;


Recognises the importance of branding and promotion of goods and services to secure a premium income for their producers;


 Would be delivered through a team of farm liaison officers, with processes of peer review and continuous learning, resulting in more effective and low administrative costs. To date, the ideas have received overwhelming support, in particular the bottom-up approach, using the skills of Exmoor farmers to help to develop the scheme.


If you have any feedback on the proposals or wish to contribute to discussion about the future, please email me or ExmoorsAmbition@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk. Hard copies are available from our Cutcombe Market office.


EXMOOR’S AMBITION >>>

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