The Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) will cover 40,000ha of farmland in the Avon Valley in Hampshire, and focus on delivering environmental public goods at a landscape scale, as well as capturing value from emerging natural capital markets.
The co-op’s main goals will be to deliver clean water in its catchment area, make large scale biodiversity improvements, and reach net zero farming by 2040.
The group is a step-on from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) successful farmer clusters, which began eight years ago after the idea was suggested by Hampshire farmer Rob Shepherd. The EFG will merge seven of these clusters and be chaired by Mr Shepherd.
Farmers Guardian, 5 May 2022
