With the culmination of COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh grabbing the media’s attention recently, it is important to remember that climate change is not the only pressing environmental issue on the global agenda.

Between 7th and 19th December 2022, COP 15 on biodiversity is taking place in Montreal, seeking to implement the protocols of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Whilst COP 27 is a vital event which rightly receives significant attention, we must avoid climate ‘tunnel vision’. Policymakers and individuals alike must recognise that although a large part of sustainability means preventing or mitigating the effects of climate change, there is a risk that we will overlook the vital role of nature and biodiversity without giving credence to the efforts of the parties meeting at COP 15.

Biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide, and this decline is projected to worsen if we continue business-as-usual. In the UK alone, 41% of farmland bird species have decreased since 1970, with 10 of the 19 ‘indicator’ species of farmland bird red-listed for risk of extinction. Furthermore, 97% of herb-rich meadows have been lost since the 1930s, which means that the habitats needed for birds, bugs, bees, and other wildlife to survive and thrive has been destroyed.

This deterioration is not going unnoticed, with recent YouGov research showing that 81% of the public believe that nature is under threat, and most respondents confirming that they have observed a decline in wildlife and nature in their local area. In light of the growing public desire for action to protect nature, it is clear that more must urgently be done to protect and restore biodiversity.

In the lead-up to COP 15, the RSPB’s ground-breaking Fair to Nature scheme has been expanded and relaunched to help tackle the enormous loss of UK biodiversity that threatens our long-term food supply.

Previously only available to arable farmers, the Fair to Nature certification scheme is now available to dairy, livestock, horticultural, and wine producers. Alongside the expansion of the scheme, food brands and farmers are being encouraged to adopt the certification, showing the world that the UK is leading the way in reversing biodiversity loss.

But why does biodiversity matter? The impact of reversing biodiversity loss goes far beyond just more birds and bees – put simply, without nature there is no food. Wildlife plays a vital role in food production as there are intricate links between nature and the growth of crops, which in turn not only feed us but also the livestock reared on farms which ultimately ends up on many of our plates.

There are a multitude of organisms that support food production through “associated biodiversity”, which means all the roles nature plays in getting produce from farm to fork which are less obvious. This includes the plants, animals, and micro-organisms that have a key role in fertilising soils, pollinating plants, and fighting diseases which can lead to failed crops.

Not only complex, biodiversity is also fragile. If we ignore loss of biodiversity in one area, such as the decrease in farmland bird species or loss of herb-rich meadows, it can be hard to imagine quite how far the knock-on consequences can go.

This is why it is critical now to make sure that food production, and what we buy, is fair to nature.

The Fair to Nature scheme has already achieved incredible results. On one farm we have seen a 226% increase in breeding birds, a 213% increase in farmland butterflies, almost double the floral diversity, and up to 19 times more bees than typical farms.

Set against the backdrop of rising ethical consumerism which is now valued at £122 billion according to the 2021 Co-op Ethical Consumerism Report, shoppers are looking for messaging that is easy to recognise, connect with, and understand. Fair to Nature does exactly what it says on the label, and consumers can be safe in the knowledge that they can trust a standard guaranteed by science and certified by the RSPB.

As COP 27 grabs the headlines, it is important to remember that climate change is not the only threat to our health and our planet’s health. The important work of COP 27 must continue, but farmers, brands, and consumers must also recognise the importance of biodiversity and realise that the work at COP 15 in Montreal is just as important as the recent negotiations concluded in Egypt.

Shoppers will be on the lookout for the Fair to Nature certification appearing on products in supermarkets over the coming weeks and months. It is important that farmers and food manufacturers act now to maximise the business opportunity and respond to this growing consumer demand for nature protection by showing they are fair to nature.

All photos credited to Shelley Abbott/RSPB

December sees the start of the next RSPB Hope Farm Technical Webinar Series. All webinars are free to attend and aimed at those wanting to gain technical expertise in the farming and conservation sector. Details of all three webinars are below:

1/3: Farming for resilience and a positive environmental footprint – 14^th December 2022, 6.30pm

Hope Farm has participated in the ASSIST program, looking at improving food production efficiency, remaining resilient and reducing our negative environmental footprint in farming – led by Rothamsted Research and UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology

Hear the latest from ASSIST’s research and how things work in practice.

Sam Cook (Rothamsted Research) – Behavioural ecologist working on ecologically based tactics for IPM, with recent work including that on the ASSIST program

Jon Storkey (Rothamsted Research) – Agro-ecologist working at the interface of functional ecology and applied agricultural science at Rothamsted, including work on the AgZero+ program, after the success of ASSIST.

Rob Field (RSPB) – Senior Conservation Scientist overseeing the soils and carbon work at Hope Farm

Georgie Bray (RSPB) – Hope Farm Manager overseeing the farmland management, communications, and advisory work, linking to the farm’s research.

Register here: https://rspb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kcEs923YRQakLgaQjfvVRg

2/3: Nurturing nature for food – a focus on hedgerows and beetles – 18^th January 2023, 6.30pm

Hedgerows are an integral part of the farmed landscape, looking after beneficial animals that help us to grow crops. Beetles are an amazing source of pest control.

Hear the latest from experts on hedgerows, beetles, and how looking after these habitats and species work in practice at Hope Farm.

Sarah Barnsley (PTES) – sharing her knowledge on hedgerows and how they are a valuable asset when managed well in the farmed landscape

Kelly Jowett (Rothamsted Research) – Entomologist working on the design of cropping systems and landscapes to reconcile crop and livestock production with biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Register here: https://rspb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YMufuZfYTTWj0Xlr79jEmg

3/3: How can we finance nature-friendly farming? – 15^th February 2023, 6.30pm

Hear the latest on funding for nature-friendly farming, ELMs, and how this looking after wildlife may fit in economically sustainable farm businesses.

Alice Groom (RSPB) – Senior Policy Officer for conservation management at the RSPB, focussing current work on ELMS

Callum Weir (WWF) – Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, sharing the organisations’ thoughts on financing nature-friendly farming including their work with supply chains to improve sustainability of the food in our mainstream supermarkets.

Register here: https://rspb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uGiYtxM3SWG4gj6_pp70vg

The RSPB’s Fair to Nature certification scheme focusses on increasing biodiversity on UK farmland by promoting and supporting the scale of land management needed for wildlife to thrive. But what is biodiversity?

“Biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes they are part of; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

In other words, biodiversity is the part of nature that is alive, and includes every living thing on Earth. Nature is all the existing systems created at the same time as the earth, all the features, forces and processes, such as the weather, the sea and mountains.

Nature means all life on Earth (i.e. biodiversity), together with the geology, water, climate and all other inanimate components that comprise our planet”.  Source: Scottish Biodiversity Strategy consultation

Why biodiversity matters to farming

A round 70% of the UK’s land is currently being used for farming and around half of the birds, insects, plants, amphibians and reptiles that live on our farmland have vanished since the 1970s. That wildlife is of course valuable just for itself, but its loss also affects food production. 

Pollinating insects, such as bumblebees and hoverflies, are important for the success of fruiting crops, like tomatoes and peas. Lots of wildlife can help with pest management, by eating harmful insects or feeding them to their chicks. And healthy soils are vital to all crops, as well as being home to over a quarter of living species on earth. Source: RSPB

The consequences of this wildlife decline therefore, go beyond simply the loss of nature; the destruction of these critical ecosystems, which are essential to farming, will have a negative and long-term impact on food production.

Fair to Nature gives biodiversity a boost

Our scientifically proven approach is not only fair to nature, but also critical for us all. Our food system relies on nature, with thriving biodiversity and ecosystems intrinsic to a functioning food supply.

This is why we are asking farmers to ensure 10% of their farmed land is managed for nature, thus enabling the re-emergence of richer, more diverse habitats – fuelling not only a return to the balance of nature, but to lasting sustainability, economic stability and long-term business resilience.

With incredible results, our own Fair to Nature farm, RSPB Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire, has seen a 226% increase in breeding birds, a 213% increase in farmland butterflies, almost double the floral diversity and up to 19 times more bees than typical farms. You can find more of our case-studies here.

We’re working with committed farmers and retailers to ensure you can buy food that comes with benefits for nature and our planet: guaranteed by science and certified by the RSPB, making a genuine difference to this crisis and helping protect our world for future generations.

Press release

The ground-breaking Fair to Nature food and farming certification scheme has been relaunched and expanded to help tackle the enormous loss of UK biodiversity that threatens our long-term food supply.

Run by the RSPB, the UK’s largest wildlife and conservation charity, Fair to Nature is the only UK certification scheme with a focus on biodiversity and reversing nature loss.

Previously only available to arable farmers, the Fair to Nature certification standard has been expanded and is now available to dairy, livestock, horticultural and wine producers. The extension of the scheme is being supported with a campaign to encourage food brands and farmers to adopt the certification in the run-up to COP 15, the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity in December.

Mark Varney, Head of Fair to Nature, said: “This is a vital step in helping reverse the terrifying loss of biodiversity that is taking place. Over recent years in the UK we’ve seen the disappearance of half of our native farmland wildlife and witnessed the ecosystems we all depend on for our food come under threat. Put simply, without nature there is no food.”

Food brands and supermarkets who support Fair to Nature agree to buy from certified farms and can display the Fair to Nature logo on the packaging of certified products, ensuring consumers are able to make positive choices to spend their money in support of restoring critical farm ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

Mr Varney added: “Ethical consumerism is on the rise, especially when it comes to food. Shoppers are looking for messaging that’s easy to recognise, connect with and understand and this is only going to grow following COP15. Fair to Nature does exactly what it says on the label and keeps consumers coming back, safe in the knowledge that they can trust a standard guaranteed by science and certified by the RSPB.”

The Co-op’s unique Ethical Consumerism Report of December 2019 calculated that UK ethical spending had risen to over £41 billion, adjusted for inflation. This represents an almost fourfold increase over the last 20 years, with the average annual spend per household increasing from £202 in 1999 to £1,278 by 2018.

By restoring the balance of nature in farming and increasing biodiversity, farmers reap the benefits of the standard, with increased pollinator numbers, improvements in soil quality and a reduction in the volume of chemicals required which saves them money.

The revised Fair to Nature certification standard was developed in partnership with seven other leading wildlife charities and is scientifically proven to reverse wildlife declines and deliver the highest level of biodiversity. Farmers make at least 10% of their farmed land, including areas difficult to farm productively, available to a range of high-quality nature habitats, whilst managing their soils and inputs in more sustainable ways that are supportive and work alongside nature.

It’s time to get serious about nature – an opinion piece by Mark Varney, Head of Fair to Nature, that featured in a recent issue of The Grocer magazine

Mark believes it’s time to have a serious talk about the birds and the bees! Not the awkward conversation that parents have with their teenagers but the loss of biodversity that we are experiencing and the impact that this will inevitably have on our ability to feed ourselves. 

You can read the full article on The Grocer website –  Why biodiversity is vital to sustainable UK farming | Comment & Opinion | The Grocer

Hedgerows are not only an essential habitat, providing food and shelter for numerous species of insects, small animals, bees and birds, they offer a stock-proof boundary for farmers and play a vital part in carbon sequestration.

It is no surprise then, that within our Fair to Nature Standard, hedgerows are included under the ‘Wildlife-rich, field boundaries and margins’ and count towards the minimum 10% habitat area on a Fair to Nature certified farm.

The visible loss of nature in Britain is a worrying consequence of our actions, as, in our lifetimes, almost half our farmland birds, mammals, amphibians, insects and invertebrates have disappeared, along with 97% of our wildflower meadows. The consequences however, of this wildlife decline go beyond simply the loss of nature; the destruction of these critical ecosystems, which are essential to farming, will have a negative and long-term impact on food production.

Actively encouraging a rich biodiversity, where nature can thrive, is key to the future of our food supply, after all, without nature, there is no food.

So, during this ‘biodiversity crisis’ what you do to help is critical for the preservation of wildlife and countryside habitats, which shall give us a continued supply of food.

Hedgerow preservation plays a crucial part in that process, providing a vital source of food and shelter for many species, vital to the future landscape of our food supply.

A healthy hedgerow will have an abundance of flowering plants and berry crops, essential for pollen and nectar for our bees and butterflies. Wild cherry and bramble, for example, ensures a food source for insects through the spring and summer months and, in turn, the insects attracted to these flowers, feed the farmland birds and small mammals.

During the harsher autumn and winter, fruits such as sloe, rose hip, blackberry, cherry, elderberry provide rich pickings for wildlife, sustaining them until spring arrives again.

Not only that but our beautiful hedgerows offer protection and wildlife corridors for safe passage between habitats and act as a windbreak, protecting against the damaging effects of soil erosion.

Please educate yourselves and others during #NationalHedgerowWeek, recognising the importance of healthy and abundant hedgerows in our ecosystem and the vital part they play in preserving our future. After all, tomorrow is grown from our actions today.

Read more about hedgerows:

Managing hedgerows for pollinators

Famland hedgerow managment advice from the Farm Wildlife Partnership

National Hedgerow Week – Hedgelink