• There is a general lack of understanding of environmentally beneficial agricultural practices and, even when there is good awareness, financial limitations may restrict change.
• Population increase, and the associated increase in demand, may result in more intensive farming practices. The economic return for environmentally friendly agricultural practices is not always good. 
• The cost of new infrastructure may be too much for smaller farms, causing them to either give up farming or to change the type of farming that they do.  Some farmers may try to balance this by out-wintering cattle more, which can cause greater compaction of the ground and lead to increased soil erosion
• High levels of nitrogen, phosphate and sediment, often arising from poor or inappropriate land management, are polluting surface and ground waters Climate change will pose real challenges to the agricultural sector. 
• Farming practices will need to adapt to changing conditions, such as hotter, drier summers, and reductions in the availability of water.  The current wet summers are exacerbating soil compaction and erosion.  Agricultural activities are, therefore, being carried out in the wrong conditions as the window to carry out work on the land becomes smaller. 

The England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative is a joint venture between the Environment Agency and Natural England, funded by Defra, that is running from November 2006 to March 2011.  Its goal is to deliver practical solutions and targeted advice in 50 priority catchments that will enable farmers and land managers to take action to protect water bodies and the wider environment.  There are 12 Priority Catchments in the South West, accounting almost a quarter of the national total. 

Through working with farmers the project aims to reduce the amounts of nitrogen, phosphate and sediment going into the water.

The project works at a catchment scale, inviting farmers to workshops on issues ranging from manure and soil management and how to improve farm infrastructure through to how to reduce potential pollution to the water course.  More detailed on-farm advice is also given where the farmer can talk to a specialist who can guide them through specific issues.

A capital grant scheme is available, supporting land managers by providing grant aid towards the improvement or installation of facilities that would benefit water quality by reducing diffuse pollution.  The South West has been relatively successful in securing this funding, mainly due to the fact that the scheme favours livestock farmers, the dominant land use in the region, rather than arable.
 

Capital grant scheme funding in the South West 2009 / 2010

As the project runs over a relatively short time period it would be difficult to assess real change as a result of this initiative, due to the natural time lag of some hydrological systems.  However, modelling is being undertaken that will help to forecast how changes in land management through the scheme are improving the environment.   This is calculating the amount of pollution that can be reduced according to a number of environmental improvements that a farmer can carry out.  Farmers will then receive specialist advice on which actions will have the best impact on their farm. 

This modelling has been trialled in a number of catchments, including the Hampshire Avon and the Yealm in the South West. 

• England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (Defra website)

• Catchment Sensitive Farming (Environment Agency website)

• Catchment Sensitive Farming (Natural England website)

• For more information at a local level on CSF and other topics, please see the Local Profiles