England’s Environmental Land Management schemes require at least £3.8 billion a year to meet the country’s environmental priorities, according to new analysis published by The Wildlife Trusts. The organisation says the current annual budget of £1.65bn leaves a shortfall of more than £2bn.
The warning comes ahead of the Chancellor’s Budget on Wednesday 28 October, with The Wildlife Trusts arguing that investment in nature-friendly farming is needed to improve the resilience of food production as weather patterns become more challenging. The analysis links the schemes to the management of water systems, protection of soils and wider efforts to reduce the financial effects of flooding, wildfires and soil loss.
Investment needed across farmed landscapes
The Environmental Land Management schemes provide payments to farmers and other landowners for actions intended to protect nature and improve the environment. The Wildlife Trusts says the funding is effectively being held at the same level while the costs faced by farmers have increased and the effects of heatwaves, drought and flooding on food production have become more significant.
Of the £3.8bn annual investment identified in the analysis, more than £2bn would be needed for the upfront costs of actions and changes in land use. A further £1.7bn would be required for advice and the continuing management of nature-friendly farming practices.
| Area of estimated investment | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Upfront actions and land-use changes | More than £2bn |
| Advice and ongoing management | £1.7bn |
| Total required for environmental priorities | Minimum £3.8bn |
| ELM budget over the past year | £1.65bn |
Measures identified in the analysis
The proposed investment would support a range of measures across the farmed landscape, including:
- restoring peatlands;
- creating new habitats for wildlife; and
- planting new hedgerows and trees.
The Wildlife Trusts says properly funded schemes are important not only for nature recovery but also for building climate resilience within agriculture. England’s farmers experienced an exceptionally wet winter last year followed by what the organisation describes as the hottest summer on record. It also says heavier rainfall is expected during the coming winter and that a hotter summer is forecast for 2027.
The organisation argues that the cost of failing to invest in resilience could run into billions of pounds through losses associated with flooding, wildfires and soil degradation. It says nature-based measures funded through Environmental Land Management schemes are therefore becoming more urgent, while farmers need greater support to adapt to extreme weather, restore nature and protect food security.
The analysis places the funding question in the context of the forthcoming Budget, which is expected to focus significantly on the cost of living. The Wildlife Trusts’ position is that environmental payments should be treated as an investment in the resilience of the farmed landscape, rather than as a static budget commitment, as the pressures affecting land and food production continue to grow.
