We joined the regenerative agriculture festival to share our vision for nature and farming.
5 min read
Last week, RSPB joined thousands of others to attend Groundswell, a festival for regenerative farming. We were there to exchange knowledge and share our vision and practical support on putting nature-friendly farming into practice.
Over the festival, we talked to hundreds of people about how to support wildlife on farmland. We hosted talks on how farmers can help to support Turtle Doves, led a group of early risers on our morning bird walk and celebrated nature-friendly food producers with a breakfast spread on the RSPB stand.
We showcased our work at RSPB Hope Farm where we’re demonstrating profitable nature-friendly farming, implementing the Farm Wildlife Six Key Actions, and seeing wildlife thrive in response.
The team supported farmers with questions about how to make their farms more nature-friendly and learned from their own experiences of habitat management. We also heard about the challenges of farming in a changing climate and found new opportunities to collaborate. Our Volunteer Monitoring of Farm Wildlife project was incredibly popular, and many farmers were interested in signing up for a bird survey to help understand which species are present on their farms.
The Secretary of State Emma Reynolds spoke to attendees about her vision for the future of farming, stating that profitability and nature are not competing factors, but are inseparable. We agree! A new approach to an important agri-environment scheme, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, was announced too. The scheme will soon offer single-focus agreements, focusing on features like grasslands. Agri-environment schemes are schemes that pay farmers and landowners to carry out their business in a nature-friendly way.
Whilst single-focus agreements could help get agreements processed more quickly, whole-farm agreements will always be needed to make sure the full range of habitats are protected and created. We need greater investment in these schemes and quality-assured, third-party advisers to help process agreements. It’s also important the scheme retains its current level of ambition.
As temperatures and fertiliser prices soar, the transition to nature and climate-friendly farming has never been more urgent. Connecting with inspiring nature-friendly farmers and others interested in taking the first steps this Groundswell was a good step in the right direction. If you visited our stand, thank you for coming to talk to us.
Thank you and see you next year!
