A survey from the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) has found 99 per cent of farmers believe protecting wildlife is crucial.
CFE asked farmers what they were doing on farm to protect wildlife and natural resources.
Over 370 farmers, growers and land managers responded to the online survey and 87% said they managed their land voluntarily in 2015/16 to benefit the environment whilst farming productively.
Collectively, the farmers surveyed had nearly 10 thousand hectares under CFE voluntary measures, and have put up 17,343 m of fencing to keep stock out of watercourses, preventing bank erosion and improving water quality.
The most popular measures on farms are grass buffer strips next to watercourses and ponds, fertiliser-free permanent pasture, and leaving field corners as wildlife habitat.
By area, winter cover crops and over-wintered stubbles are the most common.
Together, these measures reduce soil erosion, prevent pollution and benefit wildlife, and can also improve soil quality and help manage awkward, unproductive areas.
When making decisions about their farm, 90% of farmers thought that protecting soil and water and using inputs efficiently were very important.
A whopping 99% stated that protecting wildlife was either very or fairly important.
The CFE is an industry-led partnership encouraging farmers and land managers to adopt voluntary measures that improve the environmental value of agricultural habitats and landscapes, alongside profitable farming.
