Species-rich grasslands can deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, climate and food production but 97% of these habitats in the UK have been lost over the past century, and many farmers lack sufficient funding for nature recovery.
A partnership, led by Plantlife and also involving a range of partners including the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), has therefore created the first grassland-specific toolkit.
This free, accessible guide will support farmers, farm advisers and other land managers to make informed decisions around what finance options, including emerging nature markets, could support their grassland restoration ambitions. It is hoped the toolkit, available as a pdf document, will also increase the understanding of the value of grasslands on farms.
Species-rich grasslands support pollinators, keep soils healthy and prevent erosion, lock in significant amounts of carbon, offer a natural, balanced diet for livestock and contribute to the character and culture of our landscape. However, there have been large-scale habitat losses since 1930 due to agricultural intensification, urban growth and commercial tree planting.
Less productive areas of arable and pasture can be transformed into diverse habitats, subject to sufficient financial backing, and the toolkit is targeted at smaller farms that have less resources to pay for surveys and planning.
Alternative funding sources
Farmers can use the toolkit to determine the type of grassland they have, the required management regime and potential funding sources, both through government agri-environment payments as well as private finance initiatives such as biodiversity net gain funding and grassland carbon credits. The guide shares case studies to show the real-world applications of using private finance mechanisms to deliver for grasslands.
Professor James Bullock, an ecologist at UKCEH who is part of the project, said: “Our new, accessible, toolkit will enable farmers to make informed decisions and to remove barriers preventing them from creating, protecting, restoring and managing species-rich grasslands. Reversing declines in these crucial habits would bring many benefits for nature and people.”
The toolkit has been developed by a partnership including Plantlife, UKCEH, the National Landscape Association, Finance Earth, Floodplain Meadows Partnership, Pasture for Life, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Natural England, the Soil Association and Soil Association Exchange. It has been funded by the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF),
The partners will be gathering feedback from farmers in order to further develop the toolkit. Download it and provide feedback via the Plantlife website.