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Tell your MLAs:

Support nature-friendly farming

Northern Ireland is falling behind the rest of the UK and Ireland in supporting nature-friendly farming. According to the State of Nature Report 2023, Northern Ireland has the lowest proportion of land in agri‑environment schemes across the UK and Ireland. 

Lack of funding for nature-friendly farming

In Northern Ireland there has been long-term under-investment in agri-environment schemes which support farmers to restore habitats, manage land for wildlife, and improve soil and water quality while continuing to produce food. Under‑investment in nature‑friendly farming is also evident in the previous agriculture budget, where less than 3% went to direct environmental payments to farmers - the lowest proportion anywhere in the UK.

Why are farmers facing a "support gap"?

The withdrawal of the Environmental Farming Scheme, without a fully functioning replacement, has left many farmers uncertain and without the support they need. While DAERA’s Farming with Nature package is beginning to roll out, it is not yet sufficient to meet the urgent needs of either nature or farmers. 

A just transition to nature-friendly farming

A fair and just transition to nature‑friendly farming must: 

  • Properly reward farmers for delivering public goods, including clean water, food security, healthy soils, and restored biodiversity 

  • Provide long‑term, well‑funded agri‑environment schemes 

  • Offer tailored advisory support to help farmers implement nature‑friendly practices on their farms 

How you can help 

With leadership from the NI Executive, we can support farmers to restore nature - benefiting wildlife, farming communities, and sustainable food production. 

We are asking you to contact your MLAs today and ask them to stand up for farmers and nature by supporting a fair and just transition to nature‑friendly farming 

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