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<p>We are speeding up and refining the rollout of our Environmental Land Management
schemes, so they work for farmers, support resilient and sustainable food production
and contribute to our ambitious targets including water quality, biodiversity, habitat
creation and net zero.</p><p>The Countryside Stewardship scheme includes actions that
can form part of a regenerative or restorative farming approach; to improve soil quality,
enhance biodiversity, decrease water pollution and restore, create and manage habitats.
We are expanding the Countryside Stewardship scheme to make around 30 additional actions
available to farmers by the end of 2024, as well as targeting our funding towards
actions in places where they can have the biggest impacts, in ways that are joined
up across larger areas.</p><p>Later this year, we will open the next round of Countryside
Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Wildlife Offers for farmers and land managers
wanting to start their agreements in January 2024.</p><p>Organic farmers will continue
to have access to the Countryside Stewardship organic options, and other actions that
may be relevant such as those relating to grassland, arable land, permanent crops,
boundaries, waterbodies, and woodland and trees.</p><p>The Sustainable Farming Incentive
scheme was launched in June 2022. Farmers and land managers can apply for the scheme
at any time, through a simple application process. People with a Sustainable Farming
Incentive agreement can also have a Countryside or Environmental Stewardship agreement,
so long as we are not paying for the same actions twice on the same piece of land,
and the actions for which we are paying are compatible.</p><p> </p><p>The Sustainable
Farming Incentive scheme contains standards that can support a regenerative approach
and are designed so that there are options available for all types of farmer. The
three standards available now are:</p><p> </p><ul><li>arable and horticultural soils</li><li>improved
grassland soils</li><li>moorland (introductory level)</li></ul><p> </p><p>The six
new standards being rolled out in 2023 are:</p><ul><li>hedgerows standard</li><li>integrated
pest management standard</li><li>nutrient management standard</li><li>arable and horticultural
land standard</li><li>improved grassland standard</li><li>low input grassland standard</li></ul>
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