Farmers are set to feature heavily in a major new government drive to restore nature and improve environmental standards, as ministers outline plans to expand support for landscape-scale projects across England.
A revised environmental roadmap, published today (1 December), sets out measures aimed at cleaning up rivers, reducing pollution and improving biodiversity.
As part of the plan, £500 million will be allocated to future rounds of the Landscape Recovery scheme, which supports long-term projects involving farmers and landowners.
Early rounds have included river restoration across farm clusters, wetland creation, and peatland improvement, with most projects involving groups of neighbouring farms working together across whole catchments.
According to the government, the funding will help deliver large-scale habitat restoration, flood-management features and improvements to water quality.
Landscape Recovery agreements run for multiple decades, requiring long-term commitments to new habitats and land management practices.
Officials say the scheme could open new income streams for participants, with food production continuing on much of the land involved.
Most projects are expected to maintain agricultural activity alongside environmental delivery, with land-use change mainly focused on lower-grade land.
Farmer groups have previously cautioned that higher-grade land must remain protected to safeguard food production.
Industry bodies, including the NFU and CLA, have also called for clearer guidance on how Landscape Recovery, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship can operate together on mixed or tenanted farms.
Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds said Britain’s landscapes are “treasures we must protect for generations to come,” adding that she wants “to reverse nature’s decline” and drive improvements in air and water quality.
The plan includes commitments to tackle forever chemicals through a dedicated PFAS strategy, set new interim targets for reducing harmful air pollutants such as PM2.5, and introduce stronger penalties for waste crime backed by digital waste tracking.
Further measures will invest in peatland restoration, tree planting and methane-reduction projects in agriculture. Ministers also intend to improve access to nature, including upgrades at Forestry England sites.
For the first time, detailed delivery plans will be published to show how environmental targets will be met and how progress will be assessed.
The Landscape Recovery programme sits alongside the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship, with over half of England’s farmland now enrolled in one of these schemes.
