Our Regenerative Farming Pathway Package for Farmers supports our third river pledge, to support others to improve and care for rivers.
As part of this pledge, we are also campaigning for the removal of the automatic right to connect for new development, championing the Bill to ban wet wipes that contain plastic, lobbying for a ban on all wet wipes that are not ‘Fine to Flush’, launching regional River Forums, setting up a Get River Positive Community Fund and hosting a Midlands River forum to bring all contributors to river health together.
At Severn Trent we have been encouraging farms to adopt and move towards regenerative practices for a number of years, our STEPS options and Specialist on Farm Advice have always offered and supported the principles of regen agriculture.
Regenerative agriculture is also better for water quality, with improved soil structure meaning less run-off and fewer chemicals being used, meaning less pollution in rivers and groundwater to be removed at treatment.
Taking care of one of life's essentials
Our work is focused on taking care of one of life’s essentials by providing clean, safe drinking water and taking waster water away.
And, as our catchment work is currently exclusive to our Priority Water Catchments, we are always seeking new ways to help others outside of those catchments to enable them to improve and care for rivers, the environment and our water.
Our new Regen Farming Pathway Package offers the opportunity for all farmers, landowners and estate managers to take advantage of moving towards sustainable farming ahead of the Agricultural Transition and to look towards early adoption of emerging markets, and access to green financing that will support farms with:
- A pathway to improved soil structures, meaning less run off and fewer chemical
- A pathway towards reducing pollution from agriculture in rivers and groundwater
- A pathway to accessing Trees for Water which will support farmers with forthcoming legislation to reduce nutrient leaching
- A pathway towards emerging carbon markets, a safe space to learn about carbon credits and the additional value of their soil
Driving towards regenerative agricultural practices through the voluntary carbon market
All of the work we carry out across the region is focused on improving and enhancing farm infrastructure, changing practices, and driving forward mitigating actions to minimise farming’s impact, not just on the water environment but also to how land is managed generally.
We directly and indirectly support the principles of regenerative agricultural and nature friendly farming through our existing offer but wish to further support our farmers in making the transition to fully regenerative practices.
Introducing Agreena
We plan to do this by signposting our farmers to our partner, Agreena, which will offer carbon certification in return for farmers tracking and quantifying more sustainable, regenerative farming practices.
This will allow farmers to trade their carbon certifications in return for money, with the option of exiting the scheme at the end of that contract period (annually).
We are delighted that Agreena have also agreed to extend this year’s sign up deadline to the end of June (30th June 2022)