A new cooperative for environmentally-focused farmers has secured vital backing, enabling fresh opportunities in North Lincolnshire.
- The Northern Lincolnshire Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) has gained support from Wilkin Chapman, a prominent law firm.
- The EFG’s mission is to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality, and achieve net carbon farming by 2040.
- More than 40 farmers have shown interest in joining the initiative aimed at fostering sustainable farming.
- The group’s efforts highlight the growing role of agriculture in environmental stewardship.
The Northern Lincolnshire Environmental Farmers Group (EFG) has achieved a significant milestone by securing legal backing from Wilkin Chapman, the largest law firm in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire. This support facilitates new trading opportunities for farmers dedicated to sustainability in North Lincolnshire.
Wilkin Chapman, alongside agricultural machinery supplier Peacock & Binnington, sponsors the EFG, which is focused on delivering positive environmental change through natural capital trading. The group’s primary objectives include increasing biodiversity, enhancing water quality, and achieving net carbon farming by 2040.
Established in 2020, the Northern Lincolnshire EFG is one of ten such groups in the UK, consisting of 433 farmers covering approximately three percent of England’s farmed area. The EFG network boasts a trading pipeline valued at around £10 million.
Local farmers Andrew Jackson from Pink Pig Farm and William Sowerby from Farming Forward initiated the Northern Lincolnshire group. Their area of focus includes the regions surrounding Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Immingham, Louth, Crowle, and Epworth. With a proactive approach, they are seeking more members to expand the group’s influence.
Catherine Harris, leading the agriculture sector at Wilkin Chapman, underscored the power of farmer collaboration: “When farmers work together, they can have a great deal of power. While there are groups that represent farming as a whole, the EFG is a rapidly growing voice for farmers who are particularly mindful of their sustainability, as well as their financial success.”
The EFG model, launched in May 2022 by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) in Avon, utilises local farmer clusters to bolster their capacity in providing environmental goods and services for equitable compensation. It serves as a strategic partner for farmers and landowners in the natural capital sector, aiming for superior environmental outcomes and financial returns.
Members of the EFG gain specific advantages such as access to trading opportunities in natural capital markets, guidance on trading strategies, and benefits from collective buying power, significantly enhancing their operational capabilities.
William Sowerby highlighted the pioneering nature of the Northern Lincolnshire EFG, being the first to establish outside southern England. “Northern Lincolnshire was the first EFG group to be established outside the South of England,” he remarked, noting the group’s potential to impact local industrial growth through projects focusing on cleaner water, biodiversity, and carbon reduction.
The Northern Lincolnshire Environmental Farmers Group’s partnership with key sponsors is a promising step towards sustainable environmental practices in agriculture.
