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Norfolk Arable Land Management Initiative
The area and the issues
The LMI covered 14,500ha between the market towns of Swaffham, Watton and East Dereham in Norfolk.
The main issues affecting agriculture in the area include:
- Significant reductions in farm income for arable and especially livestock farms;
- Falling employment in farming;
- Farmers increasingly overworked, isolated and under stress and traditional village networks breaking down;
- Uncertainties about the future of farming policies and concern that new policies may be unfavourable for large arable farms;
- Reduced biodiversity and crop diversity as well as continued erosion of landscape character and water pollution;
- The impact of climate change combined with increasing farm size leading to soil damage in wet seasons.
Key conclusions
The Norfolk Arable LMI undertook extensive research and on-the-ground activity with local farmers, communities and organisations. Conclusions arising from this work include: the importance of social networks for sustainable land management and suggestions of how to rebuild them; ways to improve delivery of whole farm advice; and implications of climate change for agriculture in the area and the importance of farmers planning for them.
For further information:
Download the Norfolk Arable Land Management Initiative document or contact:
Jilly Hall
Natural England
East of England region
City House, Second Floor
126 – 128 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 1PT
