Farmers are expected to play a central role in Northern Ireland’s plans to restore habitats and reverse biodiversity decline under a new strategy launched by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on 27 October. A proposed £9m scheme would support large-scale nature restoration projects involving farmers and other land managers.
The Nature Recovery Strategy to 2032 sets out five objectives covering biodiversity loss, habitat improvement and the coordination of environmental action. Its priorities include peatlands, wetlands, rivers, woodlands and species-rich grasslands, alongside better management of protected areas.
Food production remains a concern
A key issue for agriculture will be how the strategy is implemented on working farms. DAERA said delivery would require substantial investment and cooperation between government, farmers, land managers and environmental organisations. The plans also support the international ambition to conserve and effectively manage 30% of land and inland waters, together with 30% of marine and coastal areas, for nature by 2030.
Government figures indicate that 9.9% of Northern Ireland’s terrestrial land is currently designated as protected. Approximately 38% of marine waters are covered by protected designations, although DAERA has acknowledged that some of those sites require significant ecological improvement.
For livestock farms, the strategy’s emphasis on habitat restoration could bring additional environmental activity into land management decisions, but the extracted announcement does not set out individual farm payment rates, eligibility conditions or delivery deadlines for the proposed £9m scheme. The funding is described as supporting larger restoration projects rather than as a new universal payment for farms.
“Our task is not simply to draw lines on a map,” said Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir.
Union calls for farming to remain central
The strategy was launched on the Belfast Hills, where Mr Muir said nature recovery would require more than the designation of further protected areas. The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has nevertheless expressed reservations about aspects of the proposals and stressed that farmers’ role in managing the countryside must be recognised.
“We have always been the guardians of the countryside and for nature too,” said UFU deputy president Glenn Cuddy.
The UFU’s response highlights the importance of funding and practical delivery for farms. The union has warned that farming must not be overlooked when environmental priorities are set, placing the strategy’s restoration ambitions alongside the need to maintain food production.
The government’s strategy identifies the following broad areas for action:
- restoring peatlands, wetlands, rivers, woodlands and species-rich grasslands;
- addressing biodiversity decline and improving habitats;
- strengthening the management of protected areas; and
- coordinating environmental action across Northern Ireland.
DAERA’s plan therefore places agricultural land and its managers at the centre of Northern Ireland’s nature recovery ambitions, while the response from the UFU shows that the way restoration is funded and delivered will be critical to securing farmers’ support.
