The Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) will work closely with farmers and environmental groups to deliver local environmental targets through farmer-led local groups. CFE provides information and advice to help farmers navigate new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) requirements around crop diversification, permanent grassland, and ecological focus areas (greening). A new agricultural policy scheme will integrate existing programs and focus funding on competitive, targeted options at landscape scales. CFE supports farmers by providing information to help meet environmental goals and new CAP rules in a flexible way.

2. Set-aside mitigation – no longer a threat
CAP greening – sensible choices
Why do we need CFE now?
Environmental challenges – many to face
and more to come

3. Ministerial Support
“ …my department will work closely with farming and
environmental organisations on how the Campaign
for the Farmed Environment will deliver targets at
local level for protecting watercourses, providing
habitat for farmland birds, wildlife and pollinators.”
Owen Paterson
Secretary of State
19 December 2013

4. Industry-led, local delivery
• Farmer led Local Liaison Groups in
each county
• Ownership & leadership
• Facilitates communication from
ground level to national
• Information exchange platform
between farmers, industry partners
etc.
• Local Campaign Coordinators
cover whole of lowland England
• Local priorities
• Coordination of events
• Coordination of farmer contact
• Develop messages
12 other industry and conservation partners

5. CFE Targets
“To retain the area of land managed by farmers for
the environment over the period of CAP transition.”
• Fewer than 200 ELS agreements expire in the
eastern region between now and June 2015
• Don’t put unproductive land back into production –
sit tight until there is more information.
• Keep your options open - for the environment,
greening and the new agri-environment scheme.
What does this mean in practice?

6. CFE’s role in the industry
• To demonstrate that the industry is taking
leadership to improve and protect the farmed
environment
• To enable the industry to be pro-active in
environmental management within commercial farm
businesses
• To demonstrate the value of environmental
management to a farm business
• To help farmers make decisions on greening and
agri-environment schemes

7. Cap Greening
Defra has adopted the three measures set out in
the EU Regulation:
Crop diversification
Permanent grassland
Ecological Focus Areas
Organic units are exempt from greening.

8. Greening:
crop diversification
• On holdings with more than 10ha of arable land, at
least 2 crops must be grown, and with more than 30
ha, 3 crops.
• Holdings which are in more than 75% grass or
fallow and have 30ha or less of arable land are
exempt.
• A single crop must not cover more than 75% arable
land, two main crops not more than 95%.
• Winter and spring varieties are counted as different
crops. Both temporary grass and fallow land are
considered to be crops.

9. Greening:
permanent grassland
• The ratio of permanent grassland to total eligible
agricultural area in England must not fall by more
than 5%.
This represents little change. Currently the situation is that if the ratio falls
by 5%, monitoring of the percentage is required and further ploughing/
conversion may be disallowed; if it falls by10% farmers who have already
ploughed/converted will have to reinstate grassland. However, there will
be a new baseline date.
• Ploughing or conversion to more intensive
management will not be allowed on designated
environmentally sensitive grasslands.

10. Greening:
Ecological Focus Areas
• Holdings with more than 15ha of arable land must
have EFAs. Farms with more than 75% grassland
(PP or TG) and 30ha or less arable land are exempt.
• EFAs of up to 5% arable must be chosen from a list
of options; possibilities include fallow land, field
margins, hedges, trees, areas with green cover/
nitrogen fixing crops. Options for pollinators are key.
• WE HAVE NO MORE DETAIL and there is much to
be decided: weighting, equivalent areas etc.

11. Shape of the new Common Agricultural Programme
CAP
2014-
2020
Pillar
1
sCM
O
Direct
payment
s
Greening
Pillar
2 –
RDP
New land
management
schemes
Growth Farming
Competitivenes
s
LEADER
87%
£3.1Bn,
of which £2.2Bn
committed
£3.5Bn
5%
£177M 4%
£140M
4%
£140M
£11.6Bn
Rural Development
Programme
• Improve the environment;
• Promote strong rural
economic growth; and
• Increase the productivity
and efficiency of farming
and forestry businesses.
• CAP consultation outcomes announced in
December 2013
• The CAP will retain its two pillars:
• Pillar 1 for direct payments to farmers and
market control measures; and
• Pillar 2 to promote rural development

12. Rural Development Programme
• Farmers, growers, foresters, land owners, rural businesses
or rural communities could potentially benefit from RD
Programme funding
• The current socio-economic funding is drawing to a close,
however another round of the Farming and Forestry
Improvement Scheme aimed at helping farming, forestry
and horticultural businesses in England to become more
efficient at using resources opened on 04 February.
• Please contact the East of England RDPE Delivery Team
for further details:
0300 0600541; rdpedeliveryeast@defra.gsi.gov.uk
12

13. Agri-environment schemes
in 2014
• Organic ELS and Uplands ELS continue as normal
• HLS open for expiring Countryside Stewardships
and ESAs, SSSIs and other high priority cases, and to
meet WFD criteria. Early closing date for applications
• ELS open for expiring Countryside Stewardships
and ESAs which do not meet HLS requirements
• Don’t let greening stop you – get-out clause

14. The new Environmental
Land Management scheme
• A single scheme, with different tiers accessing the
full suite or more limited options
• The integration into one scheme of former
Environmental Stewardship, Woodland Grant
Schemes and possibly capital grants schemes such
as CSF and RDPE
• Focused, targeted and competitive: smaller budget,
and in early years much of this will be taken up by
existing agreements

15. The new Environmental
Land Management scheme
• Opens for application in 2015
• Single start date of 1 January
• A 5-year agreement
• Capital grant scheme
• Directed or incentivised options – more advice will
be available
• Local priorities of key importance

16. The new Environmental
Land Management scheme
• Emphasis in the scheme on co-ordinated/
collective landscape-scale applications
• Each farmer has their own agreement, and can
contribute to the whole at different levels
• Payment for facilitator to “join up” options, but
groups to be farmer-led
• Similarities to the “catchment based approach”, but
not just river-based (woodlands, other landscapes)

17. What does this mean for me?
• Be aware of the need for a voluntary approach to a
range of environmental issues, including pollinators
• Take advantage of CFE and industry partners for
information and advice
• Use environmental options smartly: the right option
in the right place with the right management
• identify, protect and enhance the important habitats on your farm
• enhance water and soil quality
• provide a year-round food supply for wildlife
• Take advice on how greening might sit with your
ELS or HLS, or a new scheme

18. DON’T
PANIC!

19. CFE – Industry-Led Ally for Farmers
All farmers, land managers and advisers have a part to
play in the Campaign for the Farmed Environment:
empowering the industry to demonstrate leadership on
the environment
For free advice telephone
01223 841507 or email:
eastanglia@cfeonline.org.uk
www.cfeonline.org.uk