In the third round of the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), launched by Defra and the Environment Agency, grants of up to £100,000 have been provided to environmental groups, local authorities, businesses and other organisations to help them to support farmers to develop nature projects to a point where they can attract private investment.   

The funding aims to help develop natural environment projects to attract private sector investment to help tackle a range of environmental issues, for example climate change, creating and restoring habitats, or improving water quality.

The primary purpose of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s scheme - known as ‘Farming Nature Derwent: A place-based Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme for farmers and land managers’ - is to develop investment ready business models for a range of land managers by identifying the ecosystem services that they can deliver on their land.  

Past agricultural policy has led to intensive farming practices across the Derwent catchment that have degraded and fragmented habitats, causing a decline in biodiversity and species abundance. This project seeks a win-win outcome, supporting farmer’s and landowner’s livelihoods, whilst ensuring that the habitats created can be maintained, and making and protecting more space for nature in Derbyshire.   

The Green Finance Institute’s toolkit sets out a path towards investment readiness through nature’s recovery for farmers and land managers, but it requires specialist knowledge of the landscape and local markets.   

Working in partnership with six landowners, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust will use its expertise to test and troubleshoot each stage of the toolkit, establishing the most viable Natural Capital markets for different farms at a variety of scales, and developing a roadmap for others to do the same in the future.  

Rachel Bennett, Deputy Director of Wilder Landscapes at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said:    

“We are delighted to have been awarded funds from NEIRF to move our Farming Nature Derwent project forward. We want to see far more nature-based solutions across the county, delivering the most effective solutions for society whilst helping nature’s recovery.  

“Our goal with this project is to support farmers and landowners in developing new ways to generate sustainable income through payments for ecosystem services, at the same time as restoring and connecting habitats to help address the environmental pressures that impact the Derwent catchment. 

“By enabling the creation of more space for nature and accelerating the delivery of nature recovery networks, the project will address a broad range of environmental and ecological problems, while supporting the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan goals, strengthening the provision of essential ecosystem services across Derbyshire.”  

Dr Kara MacRae, one of the landowners taking part in the project, added: 

“I welcome the opportunity to work with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on this project to demonstrate how farms like my own, and others in the county, can maintain and improve our income now and in the long term, while protecting nature and wildlife. 

“Farms and our natural landscape are both suffering from the impacts of climate change. Projects like this explore ways to make farming sustainable for both landowners and nature. This scheme will empower farmers to make informed choices on who will purchase their natural capital and on what terms.” 

Discover more about the Natural Environment investment Readiness Fund