SAP’s priorities for 2024/25 are:

1. Nature friendly farming

Nature is essential to our long-term food security – thriving wildlife, healthy soils and climate resilience are key to prosperous and productive farming businesses. SAP supports a transformation of Northern Ireland’s farming model and food systems to more nature-friendly farming, and lobbies for farmers to be rewarded for delivering public goods that meet environmental outcomes, as with other parts of the UK and Europe.

Key asks

• Urgent publication in 2024 of details on DAERA’s proposed Farming with Nature payment scheme, tailored in collaboration with eNGOs and farmers
• Farming with Nature package becomes a central pillar for the future of the agricultural budget by 2030
• The transition to Farming with Nature is fair and just, with a clear timeline for re-purposing payments, consistent knowledge transfer and practical advice at local level
• Biodiversity audits prioritised alongside carbon audits in future schemes
• Development of a High Nature Value support scheme to reward low input systems and Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) that are beneficial for biodiversity.

2. A Land Use Strategy for Northern Ireland

Our land is one of Northern Ireland’s most important assets, underpinning a healthy, prosperous society. Of 5,500 square miles, 75% is currently managed for agriculture. With ever-increasing societal needs, environmental and climate targets, future land use will need to be multi-functional and designed to balance competing demands and conflicting policy priorities, and to support long-term food security. This should in turn lay the foundations for a roadmap for the agricultural transition to nature friendly farming.

Key asks

• Urgent scoping and delivery of a Multi-functional Land Use Framework in consultation with Food, Farming & Countryside Commission (FFCC) to prioritise land use objectives specific to Northern Ireland
• Consultation that is meaningful and engages stakeholders at local level
• Land Use plans contribute to commitments set out in Climate Act for Northern Ireland 2022 and the Global Biodiversity Framework

3. A Vision for Agri-food

Food security is rising up the political and public agenda and the global supply chain shocks of recent years has highlighted the fragility of the food supply system in the UK. But food security centred on boosting domestic production alone won’t tackle today’s challenges – true food security needs to encompass farm resilience, nutritional quality, food accessibility and stability of supply to meet societal, environmental and economic needs.

Key asks

• A just and transparent supply chain with a fair market return for farmers to support farmers’ adoption of sustainable farming practices
• Ministerial sign-off on the draft Northern Ireland Food Strategy Framework
• A ‘whole-systems’ approach to agri-food transformation
• Support, awareness raising and celebration of sustainable local food and case studies
• Clear alignment and collaboration with Department of Health to improve public well-being

NIEL’s member organisations manage over 315,000 acres of land in Northern Ireland and work with over 3,000 farmers. SAP members include:

British Ecological Society;
Butterfly Conservation NI;
Landscapes NI;
National Trust NI;
Nature Friendly Farming Network;
Nourish NI;
RSPB NI;
Ulster Wildlife; and
Woodland Trust

Contact:

Jill Montgomery
Agri-Environment Project Manager (SAP Secretariat)
Northern Ireland Environment Link
Gordon House
22-24 Lombard Street
Belfast
BT1 1RD
Email: jillm@nienvironmentlink.org