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Stormont urged to back growing momentum for nature-friendly farming

Northern Ireland
Policy & Views
DAERA
Government
policy
nature-friendly farming
woodland

Nature-friendly farming is gaining ground, with NFFN members shining at the Northern Ireland's Farming Awards.

Northern Ireland’s politicians and civil servants must put nature-friendly farming at the heart of Stormont’s agricultural policy, the NFFN says.

While there has been encouraging progress on the Farming with Nature Scheme (FWN), Northern Ireland still lags behind the rest of the UK in rolling out its post-Brexit support scheme for farmers and the pace of change remains vulnerable to political pushback.

Our CEO Martin Lines, who met Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir in Belfast, said: “Northern Ireland faces a difficult task in shifting the focus towards supporting farming that delivers for both nature and the climate.

“There are some really positive developments under way. Farming with Nature has the potential to demonstrate genuine value for farmers and for nature, while the focus on whole-farm approaches to managing issues such as water quality and pesticide overuse is encouraging. 

It is essential that Northern Ireland's politicians and civil servants design a scheme which recognises how farm viability, climate resilience and nature's restoration are all connected.

Martin Lines

“Northern Ireland’s politicians and civil servants should now focus on upskilling the agricultural workforce to farm in nature-friendly ways and on rewarding best practices. It is essential that they design a scheme which recognises how farm viability, climate resilience and nature’s restoration are all connected.”

There have been encouraging signs in Northern Ireland, with welcome proposals for a future independent Environmental Protection Agency. This should be a positive development, as long as ministers ensure it has sufficient powers to tackle wrongdoing. The forthcoming launch of a new small woodlands grant - although delayed -is also a step in the right direction.

Nature-friendly farming scores big at awards

Meanwhile, at Northern Ireland's annual agricultural awards, NFFN farmers showed how balancing productivity with care for the land and environment can produce high-quality food while restoring biodiversity and improving soil health.

Farming with Nature Ambassadors Jonny Blair and Dale Orr won the Sustainable Farm of the Year and the Sustainable Initiative Award respectively. NFFN farmer Mark Sandford was a joint winner of the Nature Friendly Farmer of the Year, while NFFN NI vice chair Louise Skelly (pictured below) was highly commended in the Family Business of the Year category.

Our NFFN NI chair Stephen Alexander said: “These awards reflect a growing recognition of the importance of farming in harmony with nature for tackling major challenges such as climate change and habitat loss. It shows that when both the environment and farm businesses are looked after, sustainability and successful farming go hand in hand.

“We would encourage all farmers in Northern Ireland to learn from these success stories and to consider how nature-friendly approaches can benefit their own businesses.”

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