1 Integrating water issues in farm advisory services The English Experience FAS and Water Workshop 21 st October 2009

Outline of presentation Farm Advice System in England Adviser training Integrating water issues into advice How we deliver – engaging with farmers and addressing their needs. 2

Farm Advice System in England FAS in England comprises: Cross compliance- delivered through a national contract with a commercial company. Organises group events for farmers and advisers and a helpline. Whole Farm Approach – a web portal to enable farmer access to guidance and help related to cross compliance and other initiatives. 3

Farm Advisory System in England FAS works for water quality by helping farmers comply with cross compliance and by linking to a wide range of other advice and incentives. We need to go beyond cross compliance to ensure we reach WFD standards. These work strands integrate through signposting from one to the other and integration within delivery organisations. Commercial advice is very important. 4

Farm Advisory Services 5 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service

Farm Advisory Services 6 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Aim: to provide advice and incentives to ensure farmers take action to address Diffuse Pollution. Targets: Protected Areas in 50 Priority Catchments covering 40% of England.

Farm Advisory Services 7 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Provides advice nationally on Cross Compliance – SMRs and GAEC. Environmental Stewardship Environmentally sustainable land management Conservation grazing. Organic conversion

Farm Advisory Services 8 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Industry-led initiative to mitigate loss of set-aside in Promotes use of ELS options for the creation of grassland in arable areas in part for resource protection Targets 22 priority counties, mainly in eastern England, where arable farming predominates

Farm Advisory Services 9 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Regional programmes to improve competitiveness of farming and forestry linked to sustainability. Programmes typically include: Technical advice Training Improving farm infrastructure New technologies Efficiency – water, energy Resource management

Farm Advisory Services 10 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Aim: to increase uptake of Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), target options and upskill farmers. The scheme offers options to address water quality: buffer strips and measures to protect soils. Targeted at: expiring schemes, uplands and uptake inc resource protection

Farm Advisory Services 11 Water Quality Campaign for the Farmed Environment ELS Training and Information Programme Regional Axis 1 Programmes Land Management Advisory Service Main agri-environment programme made up of Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS). Both ELS and HLS contain range of options to improve water quality through better land management such as buffer strips, arable reversion and livestock management.

Training Advisers In all programmes, farmers receive advice from both internal and external advisers. Advisers based in advisory services develop their own core skills and their personal development. Adviser core skills include agriculture, communication, nutrient, soils and pesticide management, facilitation. Access to specialist skills (internal and external) including FACTS and BASIS. 12

Integrating water issues into advice and reaching farmers The key to reaching farmers is: –What advice is trying to achieve –Nature of the problem –Characteristics of farm enterprise –Farmer characteristics –Degree of existing engagement Achieved through ‘farmer segmentation’ 13

Integrating water issues into advice and reaching farmers – farmer segmentation 14

Integrating water issues into advice and reaching farmers Farmer segmentation shapes the approaches used: –Cold calling –Technical advice –Scheme related advice –Group events –Clinics / drop in centres Success depends on matching your aims and tools to the farmer and farm enterprise to change behaviours. 15

Integrating water issues into advice and reaching farmers Initial engagements important, especially for ‘hard-to-reach’ farmers: –Drop-in centres –Clinics –Mailshots Group events are commonly used, either delivered internally or by contractors especially for developing contacts: –Farm walks –Workshops –Presentations – general or technical 16

Integrating water issues into advice and reaching farmers For mature relationships, one –to–one advice is important and can include: –General discussion –Scheme or grant related, such as Environmental Stewardship agreement, CSF capital grants. –Technical advice eg nutrient planning, infrastructure appraisal, slurry management –Task-based, eg soil sampling, slurry analysis. 17

Reaching farmers – nutrient planning ‘Tried and Tested’ an industry led initiative to aid farm nutrient planning. Supported by Catchment Sensitive Farming to provide advice, events, support and publications for farmers and their advisers. Engaged farmers to take action to reduce diffuse pollution, improve NVZ compliance and farm business costs. 18

19 Reaching farmers – local catchment advice

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Reaching farmers – pesticides 21 Catchment Sensitive Farming working with Voluntary Initiative in 7 catchments where pesticides above target levels in drinking water. Engaging farmers to ensure effective applications through: Provision of text alert service on weather conditions Training for farm advisers Guidance and help for farmers

Challenges Farmers need access to specialist advice and technical skills which need to be maintained and developed. Advice needs to be maintained to ensure long term benefits accrue; this can be difficult where we have short term programmes. The many initiatives can be confusing for farmers leading to advice ‘fatigue’ and lack of clarity on what action they need to take. Programmes need to fit together. Targeting is beneficial in some areas but water quality issues often need wider national approach that can spread resources too thinly. The latest science and evidence needs to be readily available to those delivering and receiving advice – technology transfer is essential. 22

Factors for success Programmes focussed on water quality shown to deliver results in terms of farmers changing behaviours and taking action. Advice needs to be mixed with incentives to provide farmers with the knowledge and the tools to deliver. A wide range of engagement methods are required to reach the whole farming community and their advisers, including 1 to 1 visits, group events, clinics, etc. Partnerships at all levels are essential to tap into new skills, to extend the reach of programmes and to engage stakeholders. Clear explanations of environmental issues and benefits are needed to engage farmers which can only come from a good scientific base. 23