Farmers will 'enhance' Exmoor's landscape under new proposals

Exmoor’s ambition, spearheaded by farmers, to become the test-bed for national policy post-Brexit

Conservationists and farmers have announced a "transformative proposal" for sustaining and enhancing Exmoor’s farmed landscapes and communities following the UK’s exit from the EU.

The proposed ‘funding and branding’ model shows a break with the traditional EU models and refocuses Exmoor position as a brand to maximise revenues.

Sharing the goals laid out in the Government’s recent 25-Year Environment Plan, this proposal seeks to protect Exmoor’s landscapes, while revitalising its rural communities and economies.

The proposal outlines a simpler, more integrated and local policy, incentivising all the public benefits provided by the countryside.

This would be delivered through a scheme delivered locally that harnesses the concept of ‘Natural Capital’ to draw value out of Exmoor’s unique features, co-designed and delivered by farmers and land managers.

'Complex and flawed'

Exmoor’s Ambition is a structure of two integrated measures that would replace the current, what the Exmoor National Park Authority describes as "complex and flawed" EU farm and environmental schemes.

The first measure – ‘Good Farming’ - would be available to all farmers and reward them for managing their land in ways that are good for nature and people.

The second measure - ‘Enhanced Benefits’ - would target specific objectives, such as enhancing heather moorland for wildlife, improving coastal access for walkers, planting and managing woodland, reducing flooding and encouraging entrepreneurial businesses.

A funded programme would improve Exmoor produce itself, with a new product strategy and improved supply chain strategy in place for the area.

Farm sign

The Exmoor Ambition paper outlines the intention to create a newly defined geographical descriptor for Exmoor, by way of achieving a stronger brand identity and premium for Exmoor products and provenance.

All Exmoor hill farmers will be offered a farm sign that signals their role in farming the landscape.

NFU South West Regional Director Mel Squires said it is "very positive" to see farmers at the heart of the approach developed for Exmoor.

"This is a reflection of the local industry partnerships and collaboration, which the NFU wholly supports, in putting ideas and solutions on the table to ensure our members’ businesses are both resilient and successful.

"The system proposed puts forward a way to provide a fair reward for delivering a range of Public Goods and services, with competitive food production being at the centre of these.

"A locally-led approach for Exmoor, sitting within an overall national policy, can be part of better rewarding and recognising farmers for the work they do and helping them deliver more for society, the economy, tourism, and the environment.”

Exmoor National Park Authority is currently seeking to run a pilot, that aims to run nationally and regionally, with relative policy priority to upland land management.