Nature-friendly farming has been severely under-resourced in NI
In January, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister, Andrew Muir, gave an update on DAERA’s new programme of farm support.
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Published: 18 Feb 2025
In January, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister, Andrew Muir, gave an update on DAERA’s new programme of farm support, known as the ‘Sustainable Agriculture Programme’ (SAP) including the Farming with Nature Package which will replace the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) as our new agri-environment scheme in Northern Ireland.
The Minister has said that the Farming with Nature Package is one of his top priorities with an ambition to scale up nature friendly farming - with all farmers being rewarded for delivering environmental public goods, alongside food.
RSPB NI has welcomed this prioritisation of the Farming with Nature Package as agri-environment schemes have become the primary mechanism for addressing declines in farmland biodiversity in the UK and across Europe. It will be a key mechanism to deliver conservation action in Northern Ireland.
What is an agri-environment scheme (AES) and how can it help wildlife?
To put it simply, an AES is when farmers are financially incentivised to maintain and create habitats on their farm and implement nature-friendly farming practice. In Northern Ireland different iterations of AES have underpinned the conservation of our most sensitive species and habitats.
For example, farmers retaining winter stubbles and sowing winter seed crops to create seed rich habitat has been vital for the survival of birds like red-listed Yellowhammers and Barn Owls. In County Antrim, nature-friendly farming practices implemented through the Environmental Farming Scheme has also played a role in helping Curlew on the path to be a recovering population in the Antrim Hills.
There has been a regression of land in agri-environment in Northern Ireland as evidenced in the Independent Strategic Review of NI Agri-Food which pointed to 48,000 hectares under agri-environment schemes in 2021, compared to well over 400,000 ha in the years from 2006 - 2012.
Furthermore, as it currently stands, the majority of farmers have no access to agri-environment funding in Northern Ireland since the withdrawal of the EFS wider level in 2023.
When you compare this situation with the rest of UK and Ireland, farmers in Northern Ireland have been at the back of the line for support and are not being rewarded equitably for working in a way that balances nature recovery and food production. Our farmers and wildlife deserve much better than this.
That is why we welcome the DAERA Minister Andrew Muir prioritising the new Farming with Nature package. However, this prioritisation must also include an increase in resources and funding for it to be effective.
Agri-Environment under-resourced in NI
There is evidence that when AES are utilised and targeted, we can see great results for species. However, when you look at the funding and uptake for AES in Northern Ireland, it is clear that it has been under-resourced.
The State of Nature report 2023 highlighted how much agricultural land was in agri-environment schemes across the UK. For England it was 20.7%, 21.9% in Scotland, and 28.5% in Wales. Alarmingly, in Northern Ireland it was just 4.8% of agricultural land. These contrasting figures show that we are far behind the curve compared to the rest of the UK, with the under-resourcing of agri-environment in Northern Ireland evident.
Addressing the scale of need
In the previous Northern Ireland agriculture budget, direct environmental payments to farmers accounted for less than 3% of the budget - lower than anywhere else in the UK.
Economic analysis also demonstrates that current agricultural budgets are significantly less than what is required order for Northern Ireland’s agricultural sector to help tackle the nature and climate crisis and improve the resilience of our farming and food production.
What we want to see and what can you do to help
The RSPB have a petition to change this, and is calling for investment in nature-friendly farming. This has gained widespread support across the UK, with over 1,300 people signing in Northern Ireland.
If you can do one thing for nature today, please sign the petition and share with friends and family.