A presentation from Deborah Deveney (RSPB HNV farming Campaign Leader) at the South West High Nature Value (HNV) farming workshop Bristol -19th June 2013

1. High Nature Value Farming (HNV)
in South West England

2. European context
HNV Farming first
identified as a concept in
1990s.
Since 2006, EU Member
States have committed to
identify, support & maintain
HNV farming as a priority
under Axis 2 of the Rural
Development Programme
2007-13 – action has
varied across the 4 UK
Countries.

3. UK Context
• Type 1: Farmland with high
proportion of semi natural
vegetation
• Type 2: Mosaic of low intensity
agriculture with semi natural
landscape features (hedges,
stone walls, woodlands
• Type 3: Farmland supporting
rare species of high proportion
of European or World
populations

4. Taken from:
“Measuring &
Monitoring the HNV
farmland indicators
in England” –
Geoff Radley, Keith
Porter, Stephen
Chaplin (NE) 2009
HNV farmland
in England

5. What is HNV farmland/farming in UK?
• HNV farming can mainly be associated with extensive
beef & sheep farming in the uplands and marginal
areas because of its high reliance on semi-natural
vegetation for grazing (Type 1 ie moorland, upland
hay meadows, blanket bog, unimproved grassland).
• Examples do exist in the lowland where low input
systems support a mosaic of semi-natural features (ie
mixed farming – hedges, arable plants)
• HNV farming relies upon sympathetic land
management practices (often down to motivations of
individuals) – eg low stocking rates, mowing of hay
meadows, leaving areas of fallow, spring cropping,
habitat restoration, etc

7. Wider benefits for society ....
• 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

8. Fundatia ADEPT…
protecting
Transylvania’s
unique farmed
landscapes, their
biodiversity, and
the farming
communities who
live within them.

9. 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) – losing
money at market, increase in
continental breeds
• Renewable energy &
afforestation

10. Key findings from livestock report: Dartmoor
• Significant decrease in pony numbers (currently no market value,
heritage lines being lost)
• Move away from traditional breeds to continental breeds
• Less hefting and shepherding on hill makes management difficult
(some areas under or over grazed) – upland habitats sensitive to
changes in livestock numbers
• Management is linked to profitablity of livestock farming – Initiatives
that support & link with farm business will have biggest effect on
grazing practices
• Continued management on many sites dependent on agri-environment
schemes
• Barriers – over winter housing, livestock
health issues (ticks, liver fluke, etc)
• Farms being broken up (loss of smaller
farms)
• Issues of commons – non active graziers
http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/Final_Report_tcm9-340975.pdf

11. • In 2011, Cumulus Consultants (funded by EFNCP) undertook
several pilot studies in the South West to test the HNV indicator
guidelines:
• South Devon (19.5% HNV farmland of study area – 33,700 ha)
• Culm Grassland (15.5% HNV farmland of study area – 40,628 ha)
• Blackdown Hills (10.5% HNV farmland of study area – 36,860 ha)
• Dartmoor (49% HNV farmland of study area – 3.936ha)
http://www.efncp.org
HNV pilots in South West England

12. Blackdown Hills, Devon.
NE HNV map in red, project map in green/brown
HNV farming in Devon project findings (May 2011)

13. 5 things the UK Gov must do now to save HNV
farming:
• Through the Common Agricultural Policy ensure that High
Nature Value farmers are properly rewarded for supporting
our most precious wildlife and landscapes.
• Prioritise spending on targeted Rural Development
Programmes across the UK.
• Build on what we’ve got: through valuable funding
programmes such as LIFE+ and INTERREG, support local
community led initiatives that encourage the continuation of
sustainable grazing and land management in places of
highest value.
• Make progress in identifying and monitoring High Nature
Value farming systems.
• Invest in research on High Nature Value farming systems
across the UK, including an assessment of the broad
benefits they provide for society and the threats they face.