Last Thursday EFG welcomed a number of visitors from Defra, The Environment Agency, Natural England, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, The GWCT Allerton Project, NFU and The Forestry Commission to a farm in Wiltshire.
The purpose of the day was to explore how collaborative farmer groups like EFG can deliver landscape-scale environmental outcomes that meet and exceed national targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).
Clean Water Collaboration on the River Wylye
The morning began with Robin Leech showcasing the impressive work of the Wylye Valley Farmers. Their two-year clean water project, involving 41 landowners and extensive water sampling across 20 miles of the River Wylye, highlighted the power of farmer collaboration. Already it’s resulted in practical improvements – from an upgraded septic tank to improvements along the riverbank. Plans are now underway to improve other parts of the river corridor, supporting both water quality and biodiversity.
EFG’s Approach to Environmental Delivery
This was followed in the afternoon by an explanation of EFG’s approach to environmental delivery by EFG Board member Teresa Dent. Teresa reported that from an initial 71 farm Catchment Conservation Plans, EFG has already identified nearly 3,900ha that farmers want to put forward to nature recovery, with an additional 40km+ of hedgerow creation and river restoration opportunities.
At present, this work is being funded through philanthropy, but Teresa emphasised the need for sustainable, long-term funding mechanisms to make this approach viable for the future.
Making Natural Capital Markets Work for Farmers
A key theme throughout the day was the need to create better functioning markets for natural capital, ensuring farmers can be paid fairly for the environmental services they provide.
Digby Sowerby, leading on EFG’s commercial strategy, explained how EFG is already active in BNG and Nutrient Neutrality markets. However, high upfront costs and limited demand are significant barriers for many farmers.
While there is some early activity in voluntary carbon markets, particularly for soil and woodland carbon, the wider market is still nascent.
Attendees agreed that stronger policy signals are needed from government to give businesses the confidence to invest, and to mandate private sector contributions to national EIP targets.
Commitment to Future Action
As the day drew to a close, there was a clear agreement on two key action points:
- Develop mechanisms to support collaborative farmer groups, recognising their critical role in achieving landscape-scale outcomes.
- Stimulate demand in natural capital markets, giving farmers a fair route to sustainable income and driving investment into nature.
Special thanks were extended to Jennie Donovan, Director of Nature & Place (Environment Agency) and Emma Donnelly, Deputy Director for Clean Waters (DEFRA) for their work behind the scenes in bringing government agencies together.