High Nature Value Farming (HNV)

Laura Whitehead

HNV Farmingin a European

context

UK Context

• HNV farmland covers 26.2% area share of farmland in UK

• Highest area in UK - Highlands & Islands of Scotland (78.6%)

(Taken from EFNCP book: ‘High Nature Value farming in Europe’ (2012))

Ben Lee

Gareth Jones (BCT)

Martin Warren (BC)

• Ecosystem Services - Water quality, flood risk reduction (water storage in uplands/culm/wet grassland), protection of soils & carbon storage

• Cultural heritage (rural skills/practices)• Visual Landscape (retention of stone walls, etc)• Access/tourism• Maintains rural communities & supports rural economy

Wider benefits for society ....

ISSUES

• Restricted by climate, soils, temperature

• Remoteness from market/ transport routes

• Fragile & vulnerable habitats & species intrinsically linked to traditional systems (fragmentation)

• Often small farms (Economic viability for families/young farmers – losing generational knowledge

• Market forces & social pressures (quality versus quantity)

THREATS

• Often outside designated areas• Intensification• Abandonment• Knock on effects of either

above = loss of biodiversity• Poverty – loss of people from

the land (culture)• Loss of cattle (particularly

traditional breeds) – losingmoney at market, increase in continental breeds

• Renewable energy & afforestation

“Celebrate and support High Nature Value

farming to benefit farmers and the environment”

Devon Local Nature Partnership

www.highnaturevaluefarming.org.uk