The main priority for Countryside Stewardship is to protect and enhance the natural environment, in particular: increased biodiversity; improved habitat and expanded woodland areas; improved water quality; improved air quality. Other outcomes supported are: protection against flooding and coastal erosion; maintaining the historic environment; improved landscape character; climate change adaptation and mitigation. Countryside Stewardship supports Defras 25 Year Environment Plan for our country to be the healthiest, most beautiful place in the world to live, work and bring up a family. It also supports Defras Strategic Objective of a cleaner, healthier environment, benefitting people and the economy. Countryside Stewardship gives incentives for land managers to look after the environment and is made up of the following elements: Higher Tier agreements for land that requires more complex management tailored to the individual site and now includes woodland maintenance; Mid Tier agreements that provide a range of options and capital items that together help to deliver a broad range of environmental benefits; four Wildlife Offers that provide a simpler set of options to help improve the wildlife on farms; Capital Grants that provide grants for boundaries, trees and orchards, water quality and air quality; Woodland Management Plan grant to help create a UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) compliant 10-year woodland management plan; Woodland Tree Health grant to help restore and improve tree health; Facilitation Fund which supports individuals who bring together groups of farmers, foresters and land managers to improve the environmental outcomes in their area; Protection and Infrastructure grant which provides grants for woodland infrastructure.Sub-outcome 1.4

The aim of the SFI scheme is to provide funding for farmers to make environmental improvements through activities such as improving wildlife habitats, maintaining and improving soils and encouraging the sustainable management of woodland. It will pay farmTo assess scheme design, approaches and the operability of scheme administration, guidance and advisory support, systems and processesTo learn, innovate and improve prior to full rollout in 2024To set the direction of travel for environmental land management schemesTo build confidence in delivery and amongst stakeholdersdrive a positive user experienceObjectivesto examine how the schemes, and the way that they are designed and administered, interact, operate at scale and in the real worldto provide pilot participants with a positive user experience to help build confidence in the new schemes to learn and improve.The aims and objectives are at the heart of the pilot Learning Strategy, at Appendix 31, which sets out exactly what and how learning throughout the scheme pilots will take place.The primary mechanism for co-design however will be piloting. As well as continuation of our test and trials programme which will continue to inform our scheme development, we plan to start the pilot of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2021, expanding in the following year. Piloting for our Local Nature Recovery scheme will follow from 2022. For Landscape Recovery we plan to progress by launching 10 long-term projects between 2022 and 2024. While these are less like pilots in nature due to their longer term commitment, we will use those 10 projects as a test bed to learn about and adapt our approach to commissioning large-scale land use change projects. Piloting will provide opportunity for up to 5,500 farmers and land managers to help us learn and co-design the full schemes.Hence from 22 we will begin the full roll-out of the SFI and the annual health and welfare review vets visits, offering early elements which will expand and extend through the transition period enabling widespread uptake of environmental, climate change and business sustainability improvements. It will also support resilience in the farming sector by creating a route for most farmers to generate income from delivery of environmental services as direct payments are phased out. This live scheme will build on what has already be delivered through the SFI pilot and we will continue to iterate and learn.Sub-outcome 1.4

The aim and objectives of piloting the schemes are set out below and are centred around learning and adapting to optimise the schemes ahead of full roll out.To assess scheme design, approaches and the operability of scheme administration and guidance.

This measure is the primary Agri-environment-climate funding for England in delivering the Rural Development programme environmental land management priorities and builds on the agri-environment Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes offered under the previous RD programme. The measure funds activities intended to deliver environmental land management priorities contributing to Englands Biodiversity 2020 goals and legal obligations under the Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives and soil commitments made in the Natural Environment White Paper and increase resilience of wildlife, habitats and ecosystems to climate change. Funding is paid according to the payment rate for each option included in the individual agreement, and the area/length/number of the commitment selected and is based on income foregone and additional costs. Agreements can be 5 year multi annual commitments with the option of annual extensions for a further two years. 10 year commitments or longer will be offered in cases where an exception is clearly justified. RPA administers for measures in England.

This measure is the primary Agri-environment-climate funding for England in delivering the Rural Development programme environmental land management priorities and builds on the agri-environment Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship schemes offered under the previous RD programme.The measure funds activities intended to deliver environmental land management priorities contributing to England’s Biodiversity 2020 goals and legal obligations under the Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives and soil commitments made in the Natural Environment White Paper and increase resilience of wildlife, habitats and ecosystems to climate change.Funding is paid according to the payment rate for each option included in the individual agreement, and the area/length/number of the commitment selected and is based on income foregone and additional costs. Agreements can be 5 year multi annual commitments with the option of annual extensions for a further two years. 10 year commitments or longer will be offered in cases where an exception is clearly justified.RPA administers for measures in England.

This measure covers Agri-environment-organic farming support.Payments are based on income foregone and, where relevant, additional costs resulting from converting to an organic farming system. There are 5 different conversion payments available for different farming systems: Rotational Land; Improved Permanent Pasture; Unimproved Permanent Pasture; Horticulture; and Top Fruit.This measure aims to fund organic conversion and maintenance by active farmers and builds on existing conversion and maintenance support under the previous RD programme Environmental Stewardship (Organic Higher Level and Entry Level Stewardship) elements.Activities funded under this measure support farmers wishing to convert to and maintain organic farming systems for environmental benefits. Investments contribute to meeting Englands Biodiversity 2020 goals and legal obligations under the Habitats and Species and Water Framework Directives. Support also aims to deliver the main objectives on biodiversity and the water environment (including flood management).RPA administers for measures in England.