2024

Defra has unveiled the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme, a key part of its Environmental Land Management (ELM) initiative. 

The GWCT’s Allerton Project demonstration farm has joined the Central England branch of the Environmental Farmers Group.

In this blog, Joe Stanley, Head of Sustainable Farming at the GWCT Allerton Project, explores why cutting agri-environment schemes like the Countryside Stewardship Capital Grant is a shortsighted move. He highlights how these cuts erode farmers’ trust, delay critical environmental progress, and risk pushing agriculture toward unsustainable intensification. Joe argues that investing in nature-friendly farming is essential for achieving climate, biodiversity, and food security goals, warning that failing to do so now will lead to far greater costs in the future.

With Defra allocating £5 billion to farming and the environment over the next two years, here’s a breakdown of what’s changing and how it could impact you.

We’d like to welcome Logan Crimp to the GWCT Wales Team as our brand new Agriculture and Conservation Officer. Logan is a fluent Welsh speaker and will be a great asset to the team.

Discover how the innovative "3Rs" approach can revolutionise conservation practices and learn why resilience, regenerative farming, and rewilding are key to sustainable wildlife management

Wild bird populations continue to decline as demonstrated by Government statistics released on 12th November. We have used the graphs for breeding farmland, woodland, water and wetland and upland birds generated by these statistics many times to emphasise the need for a change in approach to conservation.

The consultation is open until 10 December 2024, providing a platform for you to share your views on the proposed approach.

Starting in 1970, the GWCT’s ongoing Sussex Study is the world’s longest running scientific study on invertebrates in the cereal ecosystem, providing a robust indication of the national picture.

Defra has some exciting news for landowners and farmers: the Tree Health Pilot Scheme, launched in 2021, has been extended.