The scheme provides payments for a range of actions to enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and protect water quality – all vital for restoring nature and building long-term farm resilience.

However, while recognising this as a step forward, we urge DAERA to rapidly build on this foundation by offering more ambitious options in future iterations of the scheme. We also call for a replacement of the discontinued Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) Higher with a fit-for-purpose successor to support farmers managing Northern Ireland’s most important habitats.

Commenting, Dr Peter McEvoy, Director of Land Management at Ulster Wildlife, said:

“We strongly encourage farmers to consider the Farming with Nature scheme. It offers simple, practical options that can deliver real benefits for nature, water and farm businesses alike. This is especially important at a time when our environment is under increasing pressure and when building farm resilience is more important than ever.

“But the scale of the nature crisis demands more. We urgently need a pathway to more ambitious, outcome-focused options that can support farmers in delivering species recovery, carbon storage, and clean water at scale.”

We are very concerned that the gap in the timeline for the replacement of the EFS Higher-level scheme leaves many farmers who have invested in managing priority habitats, peatlands, and species-rich grasslands in limbo, with no continuity of support.

“Farmers managing some of our most sensitive and valuable habitats deserve clarity and long-term support,” said Dr McEvoy. 

“We urge DAERA to act swiftly to bring forward a scheme that recognises the effort these farmers make and prevents regression on environmental progress.”

We also welcome the ongoing dialogue with DAERA on scheme design and delivery, and encourage continued engagement with farmers and stakeholders to ensure future schemes are as effective, inclusive and ambitious as possible.

As a conservation charity working in partnership with hundreds of farmers across Northern Ireland, Ulster Wildlife will continue to support farmers through this transition and advocate for policies that put nature, people and farming on a sustainable path for the future.