Skip to main content
Sheep in a field View of sheep grazing in a Yorkshire Dales field

A1 – Agri-environment schemes

During Brexit transition, support farmers and landowners to continue to deliver a range of public benefits through national agri-environment scheme agreements and other similar initiatives, and monitor take-up.


How the local partners are doing on this objective

Progress: In 2020-21 (the most recent year for which figures are available) over £12 million was provided to farmers in the National Park through existing agri-environment scheme agreements (up from £11.5 million in 2019). Significant additional funding is also now being provided through the new Farming in Protected Landscapes programme (see A8) and the Tees-Swale: Naturally Connected programme (see C1c).

Press releases & related articles:

3 August 2021 – Our Common Cause: Our Upland Commons

1 February 2021 – Upcoming farmer meetings: ‘no chips but good advice’

11 September 2020 – Dales farmers meet Ministers in hay meadow


Rationale:  In advance of the development of a new approach to environmental land management (see objective A8), funding from existing agri-environment schemes will be critical to the survival of many farm businesses in the National Park, and to the survival of many elements of the landscape and its natural beauty.

Lead partnerNatural England.

Supporting partnersForestry Commission; Environment Agency; Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority; Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust; National Trust

Further information: YDNPA – Agri-environment schemes

Cost over 5 years:  £60,000,000

Funding shortfall:  n/a

Related objectives:  A8, A9; C1; C2; C3; C4; D1; D2; D3; D5

Ecosystem services: Biodiversity; Sense of history; Sense of place and inspiration; Genetic Diversity; Pollination; Food provision; Climate Regulation

Trade-offs:  Agri-environment schemes act to reduce the amount of livestock, crops and other products that would, theoretically, otherwise be produced by farm businesses (E9).  In practice, evidence shows that most farm businesses in the National Park would not be viable without support from such schemes.

Baseline: £?? was invested into national agri-environment schemes in 2018/19