New farmers' alliance aims to boost wildlife havens

A new farmers' alliance aims to introduce a range of measures to help wildlife

Farmers have united to form a new alliance to protect and enhance wildlife and the countryside, while also maintaining profits from their food production.

The Waveney Hundred Farming Group will link the Broads National Park with the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape, which was formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The group is made up of 23 farmers who collectively own or manage nearly 19,000 acres (7,677 hectares) of land between the River Waveney and River Blyth.

The group said its key message was that food production was not incompatible with improving the environment, but farmers need to liaise more with each other, local businesses and the public.

Ben Blower sees the alliance as a clear sign that farmers are willing to take the lead in improving the environment

Ben Blower, a farmer from North Cove, Suffolk, who is a founding member and chair of the group, said: "The key to improving our rural landscape is to have an agricultural sector, which is stable and profitable.

"We realised we had to take the initiative to take advantage of any new national policy and to attract local investment in delivering environmental improvements and increasing farming’s contribution to public wellbeing."

Robert Wright, a neighbouring farmer who originally proposed the association four years ago, said: "Promoting the environment has always been a key part of our business but we lacked connectivity with our neighbours in similar schemes.

"Food production is not incompatible with protecting and enhancing the environment but we do need the resource to do that successfully."

'Right support'

The Waveney Hundred Farming Group aims to engage more with the public and businesses to help them contribute towards environmental improvements.

The group's projects will include reducing habitat fragmentation, strengthening landscape character and identifying areas for habitat creation and restoration, improvements in soil, air and water quality, as well as educating the public.

The group also hopes to create landscape and wildlife corridors to avoid "the less satisfactory patchwork previously created when each holding was working independently".

Members said that working together will also give them more opportunities to access funding and get investment from local industry and developers wanting to offset the impact of their work.

Charles Hesketh, National Farmers'​ Union (NFU) regional policy manager for the East of England, said: "It is great to see NFU members in Suffolk showing this initiative and working together to benefit the environment.

"Farmers across the country want to support the environment and help wildlife while delivering national food security and they're showing that food production and positive environmental work go hand in hand, with the right support in place."

The cluster group of 23 farms covers 7,677 hectares between the River Waveney and River Blyth