Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2011 - 2016

Farming, Food & Forestry

Visions

• Sustainable and profitable farming, food and forestry industries which support a landscape
rich in nature and history, whilst providing solutions to climate change.

• A landscape where traditional farming, forestry and food production practices are valued and used to enhance local distinctiveness and where modern management practices which enhance landscape and businesses are encouraged.

Background

The beauty of the AONB owes much to the stewardship of generations of farmers and
landowners. Traditional farm buildings of local stone and slate add greatly to the patina of the
farmed landscape and wildlife continues to thrive due to sensitive land management for biodiversity. Intricate small pasture fields, bounded by Cornish hedges, hardy cattle and ponies on the moorland, and traditional bulbs and vegetable horticulture are distinctive elements, maintained due to the actions of our land managers. With the greatest proportion
of land in the AONB used for farming, changes in farming and land management practices can have a profound effect upon the landscape.

The farmed landscape in the Cornwall AONB still retains much of its Cornish identity, kept alive by a relative lack of large scale, intensive agricultural practices, the skills of local land managers and the continued use, in places, of traditional farming methods such as the restoration of Cornish hedgebanks. In addition, local AONB food producers such as Helford Creek Apple Juice, Camel Valley Vineyards, Cornish Moorland Wines and Moomaid of Zennor Ice Cream, provide an extra rich layer of character and culture within the AONB, with strong roots in the landscape.

The last Plan period has seen sweeping changes in the system of agricultural payments for environmental land management with the Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes being phased out in favour of a new suite of Environmental
Stewardship Schemes. The major challenge will be to ensure that the new schemes are utilised fully and that future Common Agricultural Policy reform is influenced to maintain and enhance the quality of the farmed landscape.

Generally woodlands in the Cornwall AONB are of small size, on steep slopes with poor access for modern management. This coupled with diminishing traditional markets has led to declining management and continues to be a challenge to the Cornish woodland and wood products sector. Recent investment of European funds and from the public and private sectors has led to a resurgence of interest in traditional and innovative timber markets. With climate change and sustainability agendas becoming increasingly important there are considerable opportunities for woodland management to contribute to the local economy.

Management Framework

• The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) supports agriculture and forestry through measures to improve competitiveness; support knowledge and training; ensure a healthy natural environment; improve quality of life in rural areas; and to support a diverse rural economy.

• The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) and ‘Crosscompliance’ requires for farmers to comply to keep their land in ‘Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition’ (See Rivers, Coast and Marine)

• The Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme under the RDPE will help secure the most appropriate management in the AONB

• Entry Level Stewardship is the basic payment provided by the RDPE for environmental
management

• Organic Entry Level and Upland Entry level Stewardship contain specific measures for organic farms and upland farms respectively

• The Woodland Grants Scheme provides RDPE payments for woodland planting

• The AONB landscape could be used to add value to products such as coppice or local food through sensitive marketing

• Innovative, sensitive and sustainable diversification at farm and estate level can provide
opportunity for landscape enhancement whilst at the same time supporting the rural economy

• The Bodmin Moor Livestock Initiative aims to increase competitiveness for the farmers of
Bodmin Moor

• The AONB presents an opportunity to show best practice in farm-scale renewable energy generation and on-farm energy efficiency, compatible with protected landscapes.

• Many important landscape features such as woodland, Cornish hedges and moorlands will aid in the management of flood risk, in relation to climate change ( See Rivers, Coast and Marine)

• Improved management of AONB woodland, farmland and upland can mitigate climate change through carbon storage, production of wood fuel, biomass cropping and anaerobic digestion

• Felling licence applications and the felling of woodland due to Phytothera infection provide
opportunities for landscape enhancement

• Groupings of farmers (and specialist advisors) acting co-operatively, could improve social capital, reduce advisory and education costs and generate greater public benefits

• The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), Natural England and the Environment
Agency all provide advice on payment schemes and farm management

• The Cornwall Agri-food Council delivers support to the agricultural, horticultural food and land based industries within Cornwall

• Duchy College is the main delivery body within Cornwall for the provision of agricultural education and training and Cornwall Wildlife Trust also deliver farm advice and training

• The South West Uplands Federation (SWUF) is an alliance of hill farmers and agency staff,
created to provide a forum for the promotion and discussion of hill farming issues

• The Silvanus Trust works through partnerships to regenerate the woodlands in the South West for economic, social and environmental benefit

Farming, Food & Forestry Policies

FF1	Encourage and support initiatives to increase the profitability of sustainable small to medium scale rural businesses, food producers and family farms whose operations enhance the landscape, particularly by enabling access to agri-payment schemes and other forms of RDPE support
FF2	Encourage and support sustainable farming and forestry practices that maintain and enhance landscape character by ensuring that future agri-support mechanisms contain adequate landscape measures and that available schemes have maximum take up within the AONB
FF3	Encourage and support the management of small woods and farmland to meet a range of sustainable objectives including biodiversity enhancement, climate change mitigation and local food initiatives, in ways that maintain landscape distinctiveness
FF4	Encourage low input, organic farming methods and mixed systems of farming with rotation in order that soils are conserved and water quality is improved (see Rivers, Coast and Marine)
FF5	Ensure that biofuel/ biomass crops, new crops and new forms of horticulture are accommodated in ways which do not erode landscape quality through the adoption of a strategic approach to planting and the provision of appropriate guidance to farmers
FF6	Support proposals to reduce the landscape and visual impact of conifer plantations within the AONB landscape and take opportunities where possible for the restoration of semi-natural broadleaf woodland, whilst also balancing existing biodiversity and commercial considerations; ensuring that careful consideration is given to the landscape and visual impact of replanting and afforestation schemes within the AONB with particular reference to areas felled in response to Phytophthora
FF7	Support the continuation of farming, food production and forestry within the AONB, giving assistance to young land managers and new entrants, encouraging co-operation and ensuring adequate skills and training to manage viable businesses which support landscape conservation and enhancement
FF8	Provide within the Local Development Framework clear policy guidance on rural infrastructure and farm diversification which supports sustainable rural businesses and respects local distinctiveness and cultural heritage in the protected landscape

Farming, Food & Forestry Actions

A/FF1	Increase the take up of the entry level, organic entry level, upland entry level and higher level schemes on AONB farms, securing appropriate resources for advice providers – Natural England
A/FF2	Provide advice and guidance on the conservation and enhancement of landscape character within the Higher Level Stewardship schemes, utilising the Natural England targeting statements – FWAG
A/FF3	Input into CAP reform to ensure the continuation of support for farmers which enables landscape enhancement and climate change mitigation, building on the past successes of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme in West Penwith – Natural England, The Cornwall Agrifood Council and the National Farmers Union
A/FF4	Investigate the feasibility of using the AONB designation to sensitively market local food producers within the AONB, whose operations enhance landscape character and local distinctiveness – Cornwall AONB Unit and Cornwall Agri-food Council
A/FF5	Update the Miscanthus landscape sensitivity study produced by Land Use Consultants for Cornwall County Council, expanding to include other energy crops such as short rotation coppice – Cornwall Council Environment Service
A/FF6	Identify opportunities for new woodland creation including commercial plantations in appropriate locations – Forestry Commission, Cornwall Council Environment Service
A/FF7	Develop a project with the wood products sector and The Silvanus Trust to encourage the sustainable use of the AONB’s timber resource including improved access for management – Cornwall Council Environment Service
A/FF8	Undertake an audit of the technical and financial skills of rural businesses within the AONB and provide appropriate training to fill gaps, utilising existing funding mechanisms through the RDPE – The Cornwall Agri-food Council and Duchy College
A/FF9	Produce guidance and training for planners on planning and agricultural infrastructure such as anaerobic digesters, slurry storage facilities and farm building diversification with respect to the protected landscape and ensure that this is embedded within the Local Development Framework – The Cornwall Agri-food Council and the Environment Agency

Further Information

Further information on condition, predicted trends, management framework and monitoring can be found in the web based appendices to this chapter http://www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk/management-plan/further-farming-food-and-forestry.html