Stuart Knight Deputy Director, NIAB

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1 Stuart Knight Deputy Director, NIAB

2 Sustainable Intensification Research Platform Ca. 4.5M Defra investment over 3 years Three linked research projects Three platforms: Physical (network of study sites) Data (open access) Community (research and practice) Multidisciplinary (natural and social sciences, economics) Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept A key aim is to attract further investment: Research Councils, Agri Tech, supply chains... GHG (kg CO2e / t) p y y = -27.2x R² = Yield (t/ha)

3 SIP Ambition Create a community of practice within case study areas, including farmers, land managers, supply chains, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders Develop new, integrated metrics for Sustainable Intensification (SI) and use to determine the performance of English and Welsh farming, now and into the future Provide tools and demonstrate approaches to help promote individual or collective actions that benefit farming productivity and the environment Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept Establish a route to impact between research and innovation, policy development, application at farm and landscape scales and measurable changes in SI performance

4 SIP Project 1 Title: Integrated Farm Management (IFM) for improved economic, environmental and social performance Led by NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) Project Leader: Stuart Knight Project Manager: Jennifer Preston 30 collaborating organisations (including universities, research institutes, farming industry and environment) Started May 2014 (3 month scoping study). Ends July 2017 Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept

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6 SIP Project 1: Research Objectives & Deliverables 1.1 Develop improved indicators and standardised methodologies for land managers and their advisers to measure the economic, environmental and social performance of farms Integrated SI metrics to assess how well a farming system is delivering economic, environmental and social outcomes 1.2 Identify and develop farm management interventions for the sustainable intensification of agriculture (at farm level) Assessment of SI performance of commercial farms and identification of factors or interventions that contribute to SI 1.3 Investigate ways of better communicating complex messages Yield t/ha cv to Kielder farmers Sown and 14 propose th Septinnovative decision support approaches A set of principles for developing effective guidance for farmers around SI/IFM, and proof of concept for a decision support framework

7 SIP Project 2 Title: Opportunities and risks for farming and the environment at landscape scale Led by University of Exeter Project Leader: Michael Winter Co directors Matt Lobley and Adrian Collins (Rothamsted) Project Manager: Gavin Huggett 20 collaborating organisations (including universities, research institutes, farming industry and environment) Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept Started May 2014 (3 month scoping study). Ends July 2017

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9 SIP Project 2: Research Objectives 2.1 Develop and apply a dynamic landscape typology tool based on land use opportunities for business planning and environmental risk for agricultural land in England and Wales 2.2 Identify objectives that require coordinated action over large spatial scales; apply and test landscape scale interventions 2.3 Understand farmer collaboration at landscape level 2.4 Design and develop a SI benchmarking system Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept

10 SIP Study Farms and Areas Eden (Eden Rivers Trust; Lancaster University) Nafferton (Newcastle University) Mixed (arable and dairy, with organic) Upland grazing in LFA (sheep) Lowland livestock (beef and sheep) Henfaes and Conwy (Bangor University; CEH) North Wyke and Taw (Rothamsted Research North Wyke; Westcountry Rivers Trust Future Farm (Duchy College) Dairy Avon (Rothamsted Research North Wyke) Allerton and Eyebrook (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust ; University of Nottingham) Mixed (arable and sheep) Morley and Wensum (NIAB; Morley Farms) Arable (sugar beet and combinables)

11 SIP 2 Study Area Activities Baseline survey of farmers Focus groups on collaborative action between farmers Test SI benchmarking system with farmers Mapping using the Dynamic Typology Tool Identification of limiting factors for agricultural production environmental or socio economic outcomes requiring coordinated collaborative action between farmers at landscape scale Yield potential interactions t/ha between farm businesses that support cv productivity Kielder Sown and/or 14 th the Sept environment

12 SIP Project 3 Scoping Study Title: The influence of external drivers and actors on the sustainability and productivity of farming Led by ADAS (John Elliott) in partnership with Fera, IBERS, LEAF, Newcastle University and SRUC Six month scoping (May October 2014) Yield t/ha cv Kielder Sown 14 th Sept

13 SIP Project 3: Objectives and Methodology 3.1 Explore how farmers respond to opportunities and risks from combinations of external factors (short, medium and long term) 3.2 Investigate the influence of the food supply chain and other actors on farm and landscape management decisions 3.3 Identify market opportunities and non market mechanisms to drive sustainable intensification Review of published literature on farmer behaviours, the role of the supply chain and on mechanisms for changing behaviours Workshop with supply chain representatives to explore research Yield needs and priorities t/ha cv Survey Kielder of LEAF Sown Marque 14 th Sept farmers to scope uptake of sustainable practices and the role of the supply chain in influencing these

14 SIP Data Platform Data generated by the SIP projects will be made freely available for use by other research groups, industry, knowledge exchange practitioners and non governmental organisations Aim is to provide open access to the data (subject to data protection rules) and be compliant with EU INSPIRE legislation A suitable data archive is being identified to: Ensure data are secure Facilitate data sharing Maximise the usefulness of the data Enable future re use of data

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