Thirty-one farmers from the Test and Itchen catchments in Hampshire are set to join the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) – the largest initiative of its kind – making 178 farms, covering 81,344 hectares. The EFG was set up to help its members navigate the carbon, phosphate and biodiversity offset market, enabling them to replace the loss of subsidy by implementing conservation measures on their land to mitigate developments elsewhere.
Simon Packer, director of regional planning consultancy Turley, expressed his approval: “The EFG is a very interesting and encouraging initiative and I’m pleased to hear that the Test and Itchen Group is joining the cooperative.”
The group’s expansion will make restoration of rare chalk stream habitats a key component of the EFG’s three principle aims: biodiversity and species recovery, clean water and net carbon zero farming by 2040. Joe Edwards, who manages the Middleton Estate, has already seen a dramatic improvement in water quality along its three-mile stretch of the Test.
James Hewetson-Brown, who runs Ashe Warren Farm near the source of the Test, said: “The EFG has great potential to unlock funding to create new and better networks of these type of measures and restore wildflowers to the countryside.”
The EFG is convened by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and its scientific research will underpin the initiative. GWCT Chief Exec Teresa Dent commented: “At the end of 2022 the Westminster government set out its legally-binding environmental targets. We applaud these ambitions but note that government is going to need to harness the environmental delivery of the farmers and land managers, the Working Conservationists, who look after the 72% of land that is in private stewardship in England.”
The environmental auditing and monitoring of EFG projects will be carried out by Natural Capital Advisory (NCA), while funding will be a combination of public money in the form of Environmental Land Management Schemes and private finance from sponsorship, green investments and offset markets.
Today, thirty-one farmers from the Test and Itchen catchments in Hampshire are set to join the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) – the largest initiative of its kind – making 178 farms, covering 81,344 hectares. Convened by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the cooperative was established to help its members navigate the carbon, phosphate and biodiversity offset market, replacing the loss of subsidy and mitigating developments elsewhere.
Simon Packer, director of regional planning consultancy Turley, welcomed the news: “The EFG is a very interesting and encouraging initiative and I’m pleased to hear that the Test and Itchen Group is joining the cooperative.”
The EFG’s three principle aims are biodiversity and species recovery, clean water and net carbon zero farming by 2040. Joe Edwards, who manages the Middleton Estate, has already seen a dramatic improvement in water quality along its three-mile stretch of the Test. James Hewetson-Brown, who runs Ashe Warren Farm near the source of the Test, said: “The EFG has great potential to unlock funding to create new and better networks of these type of measures and restore wildflowers to the countryside.”
GWCT Chief Exec Teresa Dent commented: “We applaud the Westminster government’s legally-binding environmental targets, but note that government is going to need to harness the environmental delivery of the farmers and land managers, the Working Conservationists, who look after the 72% of land that is in private stewardship in England.”
The environmental auditing and monitoring of EFG projects will be carried out by Natural Capital Advisory (NCA), while funding will be a combination of public money in the form of Environmental Land Management Schemes and private finance from sponsorship, green investments and offset markets.
Today marks a major milestone as thirty-one farmers from the Test and Itchen catchments in Hampshire join the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) – the largest initiative of its kind – making 178 farms, covering 81,344 hectares. Led by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and supported by Natural Capital Advisory (NCA), the EFG was established to help its members navigate the carbon, phosphate and biodiversity offset market, replacing the loss of subsidy and mitigating developments elsewhere.
Simon Packer, director of regional planning consultancy Turley, welcomed the news: “The EFG is a very interesting and encouraging initiative and I’m pleased to hear that the Test and Itchen Group is joining the cooperative.”
The EFG’s three principle aims are biodiversity and species recovery, clean water and net carbon zero farming by 2040. Joe Edwards, who manages the Middleton Estate, has already seen a dramatic improvement in water
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