A new report jointly published today by the National Landscapes Association and National Parks England highlights some of the achievements since FiPL was introduced in 2022:
- 840 projects delivered to reduce flood risk
- 204,000 trees planted
- 3400+ educational visits funded
- Over 7000 farmers and land managers engaged
- Almost 200 farm clusters, supporting farmers to work together supported
- 422 ponds created or restored
- 150 monuments at risk supported
The programme, worth £40M annually, directs funds to farmers and landowners within National Landscapes and National Parks. The innovative model is unique in blending national, regional and local priorities and devolving decision making to local experts, while funding farmers to deliver against national targets. It fills gaps not met by other farming funding programmes, especially for smaller landholders. Contributions to nature recovery and climate resilience, sustainable businesses, social wellbeing and community building, heritage conservation and better access for people to enjoy our nation’s landscapes feature in programme delivery, all coming together to make much more resilient rural places.
Farmers are instrumental in the UK’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, restore nature, clean up our waters and feed the nation. The FiPL programme has been lauded by the farming and land management community with 85% of surveyed FiPL participants saying they would recommend the programme to others. [1]
John Watkins, Chief Executive of the National Landscapes Association said:
“This new report illustrates how well FiPL is helping farmers to deliver what this government wants – to help nature, reduce flood risk, clean up our water and support farm business diversification and helping rural communities be more resilient.”
Jayne Butler, CEO of National Parks England said:
“The FiPL programme is hugely popular with farmers due to its flexibility and easy to access advice. The programme also provides an opportunity to learn and embed this success into wider agri-environment schemes, giving famers more confidence in a future where nature and climate can be balanced with food production.”
Together National Landscapes and National Parks make up around 25% of the area of England. In October 2024, Defra submitted its plans on how the UK will achieve the UN target of 30% of land and sea protected for nature by 2030. The plans specified that UK’s Protected Landscapes should ‘provide the backbone to 30by30 in England, contributing towards the target where they are effectively managed and delivering in-situ conservation. We recognise that we can, and must, go further within Protected Landscapes than other areas to meet our national environmental targets, including 30by30.’
Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcaster and patron of South Devon National Landscape said:
“It is hard to exaggerate the value of the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme. As I have discovered firsthand during visits to farmers in South Devon National Landscape, the Programme allows them to develop innovative ideas that deliver important nature and climate outcomes as well as making their businesses far more resilient. The farmers I talked to especially liked the flexibility and tailored advice they get from a knowledgeable local farm adviser. This sets FiPL aside from other programmes. 33 of South Devon’s 107 FiPL projects engaged with schools, community groups or volunteers performing a vital role in linking ‘farm to fork’. The programme needs to be extended to enable Protected Landscapes to deliver many more projects to meet national, regional and local priorities, encouraging more farmers to engage with agri -environment schemes that benefit all of us.”
Dave Oates, who farms at Rosuick Farm on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall said:
“FiPL is the funding I’ve waited decades for. Farming in unique landscapes requires flexibility, every farm is different. The National grants programmes don’t take local needs into account. Ensuring that funding programmes support smaller farms is essential to meet the nature and climate challenges we face and to keep rural communities sustainable.”
Since the inception of the programme, National Landscapes and National Parks teams worked with over 7000 farmers on projects to benefit climate, nature, people and place through FiPL. Teams have supported Defra to get £59m of funding to farmers to deliver nature friendly farming and access projects including 840 projects to reduce flood risk; 184 miles of hedgerow planted and the creation of 95 permissive paths.
Find out more about Farming in Protected Landscapes in the Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths National Landscape at https://coastandheaths-nl.org.uk/managing/farming-in-protected-landscapes/