Farming
We're working with farmers to find and share practical wildlife-friendly farming techniques.
Farming near you
Farming after Brexit
Following the decision in June 2016 for the UK to leave the European Union, major decisions will need to be made about how all governments across the UK support the environment, farming and rural development to replace the Common Agricultural Policy.
The RSPB, in partnership with leading UK conservation organisations, has called on the government to grasp the opportunity to provide more support to nature-friendly farmers and secure a better future for our countryside. We are currently working with farmers and others with expertise in food, rural development and conservation to achieve this.
Advice
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![Skylark (alauda arvensis) sitting in heather, South Stack RSPB reserve, Wales]()
Get a farmland bird survey
Find out how to get a survey of the bird-life on your farmland.
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![Redshank Tringa totanus, in breeding plumage, Geltsdale RSPB reserve, Cumbria,]()
Helping species
If you know which birds are on your farm, then you can find out what they need and how you can help them.
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![Skylark Alauda arvensis, at the grassy edge of a small field. Cornwall]()
Managing habitats
Advice on how to manage habitats for wildlife on your farm, from margins, banks and headlands to meadows, scrub land and buildings.
Agriculture and land-use
Our work with government helps develop agricultural policies that support the vital work that nature needs farmers to do.
Hope Farm
EU LIFE+ Farmland bird project
The EU LIFE+ Programme supported our Farmland Bird Project, enabling us to provide free bird surveys, an annual wildlife-friendly farming competition and free practical advice for farmers from specialist experts in their own area.
Find out more about the project and how it’s helped us shape the new advice and support tools we have available for farmers.
Our work with farmers was kindly sponsored by the EU LIFE+ fund between January 2010 and September 2013, safeguarding the future of our farmland birds under the EU Birds Directive.
Nature of Farming Award
Our farming blog
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Food and farming that’s Fair to Nature
Fair to Nature is the only UK farm scheme to deliver the scale of land management wildlife requires to thrive. Find out more about this gold standard for nature-friendly farming and how it is helping farmers to create and manage diverse and successfu...
Posted 03/06/2021 by Kathryn Smith -
Review of Agri-Food must work for Nature
Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food Sector can play a pivotal role in addressing the nature and climate nature and climate emergency, at the same time as providing economic opportunities for rural communities and supporting healthier, sustainable diets. An ...
Posted 26/05/2021 by Kathryn Smith -
Sharing farmer knowledge across the farming sector on ways to work with nature to reduce pesticide use – IPM survey.
Guest blog by Steph Morren, Senior Policy Officer Take the survey here Increasingly, farmers and other land managers are looking for ways to reduce their reliance on pesticides. This is due to a number of reasons including concern for the environmen...
Posted 25/05/2021 by Kathryn Smith -
What the outcomes from the Welsh and Scottish elections mean for making our food system more nature friendly
Guest blog from Andrew Stark, Land Use Policy Offer RSPB Scotland and Rhys Evans, Policy Officer RSPB Cymru Scotland A new Parliament On May 6th, Scotland voted in a new Parliament and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). There were 129 seats u...
Posted 24/05/2021 by Kathryn Smith