Championing the Farmed Environment launched

The Campaign for the Farmed Environment has had a hugely successful and influential role in promoting the protection of valuable ecological resources within a productive agricultural landscape. Recently that has seen an evolution to the new, Championing the Farmed Environment.

CFE Project Officer, Laura Harpham, explains more about CFE’s new objectives and what it will provide for farmers and growers.

 What’s different about the CFE now, and how do you see it will continue to evolve?

Ten years since its inception, the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) is undergoing a name-change and relaunch to reflect the continuity of the project, as well as the natural evolution of its work.

Under its new title, Championing the Farmed Environment, CFE will continue to support farmers to deliver environmental goods as part of a productive and profitable business.

What do you consider have been the key highlights of the past 10 years?

In 2008, CFE was established as an industry initiative to promote and support the delivery of environmental benefits by farmers outside established agri-environment schemes. Through CFE, the farming industry showed its capacity and willingness to promote and deliver best-practice environmental management beyond policy requirements.

So is it still relevant today?

The government’s 25-year Environment Plan calls on the farming community to balance safe, traceable and high-quality British food with the protection and enhancement of the British countryside. This includes protecting the essential public goods it manages for the nation; clean air and water, healthy soils and a flourishing natural environment.

In the context of this increased focus on environmental public goods in everyday farming practices, the work of the CFE is more important and relevant than ever.

Alongside producing safe, traceable and affordable food, the focus has increased on the environmental goods that farms deliver for the landscape, wildlife and the public. The name change is a great opportunity to celebrate the work farmers who are already engaged with CFE are doing, and to get more people involved.

Who is involved with supporting CFE?

As founding partners of CFE, the NFU, AIC, CLA and GWCT have always represented key players within the agricultural community and identified strongly with the central principles of sustainable farming practice delivering for both the environment and farm businesses.

To this end, CFE is advised by organisations with specialisms in these areas, such as LEAF, AHDB and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, along with the support of other farming businesses, including Syngenta.

Where can farmers find more information and get involved?

CFE supports farmers to deliver environmental benefits within a productive farm business.

We provide guidance and support to allow more farmers to manage their land in a way which works for their business and the environment.

We also promote and celebrate the work that many farmers already do to sustain and improve the natural environmental on their farm. Through CFE, farmers can step up to the challenge of protecting the environment on which their farming businesses depend.

The CFE website has been redesigned to make it easier for farmers to access the information they need to deliver environmental goods which work for their farms. The central themes of Soils, Water, Air and Wildlife set out actions which farmers can take to ensure their farms produce environmental benefits within the operation of a sustainable business.

The site also connects farmers with the many organisations and projects that work alongside CFE, for example Tried & Tested for nutrient management and the Voluntary Initiative. 

CFE will also continue to run its highly popular regional workshops this spring, to ensure farmers have ample opportunity to get practical and valuable information they can integrate with sustainable farming decisions.  Details below and check out the website for more information.

Syngenta Operation Pollinator special offers on seed mixtures will be available at all the meetings.