Lead Partner: Voluntary Action Cumbria
Description
Hill farming communities are fragile. There has been a decline in the numbers of moorland farmers and the critical mass of active hill farmers is becoming too small to deliver sustainable management. Hill farmers’ incomes are low, risky and vulnerable with a heavy reliance on income from support payments. Recent policy has promoted cultivating biodiversity rather than production. Many now believe that they have been asked to reduce their numbers of sheep to unviable, low levels, both in business and sustainable hill land management terms. Traditional hefting systems have been weakened by these reductions in sheep numbers as they stray into other hefts and as a consequence routine tasks such as gathering are more onerous. Equally important, the prescriptions have narrowed hill farmers’ farming options and many feel a reduced sense of purpose, self determination and autonomy.
However, there is a growing recognition among policy makers that if the hills were left without human management from hill farmers their character would change completely. Traditional grazing at sustainable levels is an entirely appropriate use of marginal hill land and will deliver bio-diversity, ecosystems services, food, landscape, public amenity and public access.
Throughout the country hill farmers are taking responsibility for their own future and organising in local groups and networking regionally and nationally. Informal events were hosted for hill farmers to share experiences and find solutions to the challenges they face. This action research enabled small local stories to be heard by decision makers. The development of new farmer-led organisations that will continue building connections with policy makers to get their voice heeded in the long term were also supported.
New ways of paying for ecosystems services that could greatly increase the potential return to hill famers are currently under investigation. In order to improve policy making and delivery and reduce unintended consequences it is essential to engage hill farmers and their organisations in this process from the start, to value their local knowledge and insights and develop models and potential solutions collaboratively.
The full report can be downloaded below.
Contact Details
Viv LewisSocial Enterprise and Cooperative Development Ltde-mail: viv@secod.coopOffice: 01931 713335Website: http://www.cumbriahillfarming.org.uk
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Sustaining Hill Farming Communities in the North of England .pdf | 5.49 MB |