Union warns peatland schemes risk failure without farmer support

Peatland restoration schemes risk failing unless farmers and landowners are given long-term funding, practical support and greater certainty over future land use, the Ulster Farmers’ Union has warned.

The warning comes in a new UFU report, Barriers to Uptake of Peatland Restoration for Farmers and Landowners in Northern Ireland, which draws on farmer feedback gathered through surveys and discussions.

The report examines the practical, financial and cultural challenges affecting participation in peatland restoration and management schemes.

It also sets out recommendations aimed at shaping future agri-environment policy and supporting a more collaborative approach between farmers, landowners and environmental bodies.

Among the key recommendations is the creation of a dedicated long-term peatland fund for farmers and landowners.

The UFU is also calling for a results-focused agri-environment scheme to replace previous prescriptive schemes.

The report recommends locally based support and training to help those managing peatland take part with greater certainty.

It also identifies opportunities to improve engagement by linking peatland management more closely with rural communities.

Peatlands play an important role in biodiversity, carbon storage, water quality and flood mitigation, but the UFU said these benefits must be balanced with viable land management.

The union said many farmers and landowners still faced significant practical concerns when considering restoration or management schemes.

These include uncertainty around long-term funding, future land use and the requirements attached to management prescriptions.

The UFU said restoration schemes would only work if they reflected the financial pressures and day-to-day realities facing farm businesses.

It said successful peatland management could not be achieved through environmental objectives alone, and that policy must be developed with those who live and work on the land.

The union said many of the same concerns were raised at the IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference in Swansea last week.

Sperrins hill farmer John Wauchob spoke at the event about his experience of farming within a protected peatland site.

He emphasised the importance of developing peatland management in partnership with rural communities, rather than leaving those communities feeling excluded from decisions affecting their land.

UFU Deputy President Clement Lynch said the report reflected the views of those most directly affected by peatland policy.

“This report is about listening to those who live and work on our peatlands every day and understanding the challenges they face in engaging in peatland management,” he said.

He said farmers understood the value of healthy peatlands, but needed the right conditions to participate with confidence.

“The message that came through clearly is that farmers recognise the importance of healthy peatlands, but that we need to create the conditions that allow them to engage with confidence,” Mr Lynch said.

Mr Lynch said funding, advice and trust would be central to making peatland restoration work for both the environment and farming businesses.

“By addressing barriers around funding, support and trust, we deliver meaningful environmental and agricultural outcomes while strengthening the communities that manage these landscapes,” he said.