Defra pledges to double Higher Tier agreements struck annually

Defra's move to double the number of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements processed by 2025 has been hailed as a major victory by nature-friendly farmers.

Defra announced this month that it would be increasing the number of farmers able to gain access to the most ambitious levels of support by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), which has expressed 'delight' at the decision, had warned that over the past decade, successful applications to these schemes had plummeted by 80%.

It accused policymakers of 'overlooking' upland areas and leaving farmers without adequate financial backing to deliver nature outcomes.

Cumbrian organic dairy farmer James Robinson, who chairs the NFFN England steering group, led a campaign for greater access to the higher tier schemes last year.

Thousands of people signed his petition to Defra demanding civil servants and politicians think again and letters were sent to MPs in affected constituencies.

He said: “This just shows that a campaign which had fairly modest resources behind it was able to gain momentum and achieve a real victory.

“It makes absolute sense for farmers who want to be more ambitious in driving change to have access to the Higher Tier agreements. They reward those farmers who want to go further and do more for nature.

“There are farmers who have been trying to get into the higher tier schemes for a couple of years now and hopefully this will open the agreements up to them and others like them."

Mr Robinson added: “Farmers wanting to do good things for the environment should be welcomed with open arms and encouraged, not limited by a brick wall of bureaucracy.

“I am grateful to everyone who supported the campaign by sharing it on social media or by signing the petition or letters."

Mr Robinson’s petition demanding more support for upland farmers received more than 2,750 signatures.

Farmers then sent letters to politicians in a number of constituencies where upland farming makes particularly significant contributions to the local economy.