Catchment Sensitive Farming
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) provides local expert advice to farmers and land managers to combat water and air pollution from the agricultural sector and improve soil quality. The delivery of CSF advice is led by Natural England in partnership with Defra and the Environment Agency along with local partner organisations. On the Isle of Wight, Natural Enterprise – a charity based in Newport – is the partner organisation helping with delivery.
This partnership supports farmers and landowners with completely free-of-charge and confidential advice on a wide-range of issues connected with diffuse pollution issues and agricultural practises, such as water handling. This advice includes training on sustainable farming methods, on-site assessments of infrastructure improvements, options under the new system of subsidies and accessing grants, such as under the capital grants scheme.
The advice provided enables and empowers Isle of Wight farmers to take voluntary actions to reduce impacts on pollution receptors, such as rivers, and help protect local habitats and ecology. Reducing flood risks are further part of CSF delivery. Importantly, CSF services are critically linked to combatting climate change through reductions in emissions from the agricultural sector. Yet, underpinning the advice provided by CSF services is an acute awareness of the business sustainability of farms. CSF services aim to ensure that farmers can keep making the profits needed for their long-term viability.
Since 2006, CSF services have been provided to over 20,000 farms and has helped farmers take over 70,000 actions to reduce pollution. Nitrate levels have decreased by four percent nationally with levels of phosphorus and sediment are down by eight percent and twelve percent respectively. Satisfaction with CSF services is consistently high. CSF advice, for instance, sees a satisfaction rate of 92 percent among farmers who have accessed the services.
Natural Enterprise is the partner organisation delivering CSF services on the Isle of Wight. As a charity focused on agriculture, local heritage and environmental protection, Natural Enterprise is ideally placed to support local farmers and landowners through the delivery of CSF services.
If you are a farmer or land manager who is interested in accessing CSF services and located on the Isle of Wight, please make contact using the email address or phone number below:catchmentsenstivefarmingiow@naturalenterprise.co.uk
01983 296244
For more information from gov.uk about catchment sensitive farming, please find the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/catchment-sensitive-farming-reduce-agricultural-water-pollution
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