13 July 2026
Land is one resource we cannot make more of. Not only that but with climate change and ever more extreme weather all land users and managers must deal with flooding, drought, wildfires and erosion that further restrict our usable space.
In the context of an increasing population this is putting more pressure than ever on land productivity as we need more food at reasonable prices, whilst also addressing the need for more affordable homes at scale. The Land Use Framework has set guidance for how we manage conflicting spatial needs in England, and in Merseyside the farming community is integrating nature recovery and commercial food production.
It is in this context this blog explores the links between farming and land management with a focus on the challenges and opportunities to protect and enhance nature whilst maintaining essential food production.
In order to deal with the challenges outlined above, and competing land use needs for England at a strategic scale, the Land Use Framework provides guidance on how to balance demand for land availability. The framework sets a vision for the English Landscape in 2030 and 2050 for housing, energy, food, nature, and resilient and water sensitive landscapes and communities. It sets four principles - multifunctionality; right use, right place; future readiness; and adaptive by design - to guide decision-making without being prescriptive.
This will influence how we build, farm and live, what we create, what we change, and how we manage the landscapes we already have. Farmers were consulted extensively - as some of the country’s ‘front line’ managers, they see the effect of soil degradation, unpredictable weather, pollinator decline, flooding and drought while trying to produce good quality, affordable food.
Within this challenging environment there are increasingly available opportunities for nature and farming to build resilience, adapt and thrive, but is this enough to halt biodiversity decline and support sustainable food production?
To help navigate this period of transition, the Government has recently produced a ‘Farming RoadMap 2050’ for farmers to help them adapt and invest in a profitable, productive, sustainable and resilient future for food production alongside nature recovery which aligns with the principles of the Land Use Framework. Learn more here.
Across England, the decline of farmland species and habitats has been identified as a key priority for nature recovery in the majority of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs). This is the case in Liverpool City Region where approximately 40% of the strategy area is farmland. Priorities around supporting water management, pollinators, reducing soil and nutrient run-off have been identified for action. Learn more here.
Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS) arranged activities seeking to address farmland species decline and support LNRS delivery. In early spring 2026, at a farm in Liverpool City Region, this programme brought together landowners, farmers and environmental professionals for an event that was focused on nature recovery opportunities for landowners and farmers.
A key message throughout the day was clear: nature recovery can be delivered alongside productive farming, working estates and landholdings, forming part of a more resilient and diversified land management approach.
The event celebrated the outcomes of a Liverpool City Region Farmland Species Recovery Project (2023 – 2025) and shared examples of targeted interventions that support biodiversity and business resilience on working farms. It also provided an opportunity for farmers to share practical experience and discuss how nature recovery can be integrated into working farm businesses.
Themes emerged from the discussion on how environmental delivery can fit within existing multi-functional farm systems, the role of Biodiversity Net Gain and habitat banking alongside agri-schemes and the practicalities of long-term management. Real-world examples provided a valuable opportunity to explore how these approaches could apply to individual landholdings.
A key area of interest was the long-term security and reliability of BNG agreements, particularly in relation to how habitats are managed over time and how risks are addressed. These discussions reflected a growing awareness of both the opportunities and responsibilities associated with nature recovery, and the importance of clear guidance and support when considering participation.
There was a strong appetite to explore these opportunities further, particularly where BNG and other funding mechanisms can support both environmental outcomes and landowner business resilience. Many farmers and landowners expressed an interest in continuing the conversation and understanding what this could look like in practice on their own land.
The day also marked the launch of MEAS’s habitat banking guide for landowners which is intended to support landowners and farmers to provide habitat enhancement opportunities that provide offsite BNG credits, and which will also support developers of local housing who are unable to deliver BNG onsite.
With local plans across England identifying significant housing growth, including development on green belt land, there will be an increasing requirement to mitigate impacts on designated sites and priority species. This creates opportunities for farmers and landowners to play a key role in delivering that mitigation through targeted habitat creation and management, supported by funding from mechanisms such as Section 106 agreements and Biodiversity Net Gain alongside the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
The need for strong local networks of farmers and landowners is essential. This will provide a platform to share knowledge, explore opportunities collaboratively and develop projects that deliver both environmental and business benefits.
Defra’s recently announced Farming Collaboration Fund[1] is intended to enable networks and partnerships to grow and effectively support farmer and landowners to recover nature alongside their core business food production. Over three years a £30 million fund will support sharing of knowledge, good practice and pooling of resources across England giving farmers and landowners the tools to take action to diversify their business and recover nature in tandem. Learn more here.
Meanwhile, the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI2026) has opened and is offering a streamlined set of 71 actions (that is, 71 specific farming activities) down from 102 in the previous 2024 scheme. SFI2026 is intended to be simpler, with fewer actions and complexity whilst retaining those actions in greatest demand and have impact for food production, nature and wider environmental benefits. Learn more here: SFI26: details, definitions and what to expect – The Farming Blog
The SFI, environmental land management schemes, carbon and biodiversity credits, nature networks, energy farms and nature tourism all jostle with housebuilding and food production in the context of increasingly vulnerable landscapes and are helping to incentivise sustainable land use and harness investment for nature. Nature provides multiple diffuse benefits for a broad audience which have historically been hard to measure. Also, despite the existential necessity of our ecosystems these benefits have traditionally dismissed as an ‘externality’.
A real understanding of our geography and landscapes is increasingly important to determine the right use for the right place, and how to make our landscape truly multifunctional and adaptive to future needs. The management of this will be shouldered by the curators of our landscapes: our farmers, and land and estate managers. Looking to the future, collaboration and resource is essential. These key stakeholders will need all the support, technological advances, skills and investment mechanisms at their disposal to support LNRS priorities and realise the ambitions of the Land Use Framework.
This blog was written on behalf of the ISEP Biodiversity and Natural Capital Network by:
Maggie Fennell Wells, PISEP, Principal Green and Blue Infrastructure Consultant, The Environment Partnership
Andrew Clark, AISEP, Principal Ecologist, Merseyside Environmental Advisory Services
