Environment Agency - Home

Environmental stewardship

Environmental stewardship encourages farmers to apply their land management skills and make improvements on their farms that will benefit the environment for people and wildlife.

Environmental stewardship schemes

The schemes address a variety of areas including:

  • diffuse pollution - improving water quality by reducing soil erosion and nutrient leakage
  • improving biodiversity conditions - addressing issues such as the decline of farm birds, mammals and insects
  • better landscape character - helping to maintain traditional landscape features, such as field boundaries
  • preserving historic features - such as archaeological sites

Defra runs the Environmental Stewardship programme in England. The programme is divided into three schemes.

  • Entry level stewardship
  • Organic entry level stewardship
  • Higher level stewardship