A new cooperative for environmentally-minded farmers has secured the funding needed to initiate trading opportunities for sustainable farmers in North Lincolnshire. This venture has gained the support of Wilkin Chapman, the largest law firm in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.
Securing key sponsors
Wilkin Chapman joins agricultural machinery supplier Peacock & Binnington as the first sponsor of the Northern Lincolnshire Environmental Farmers Group (EFG). The EFG aims to deliver positive environmental change through natural capital trading.
Goals of the EFG
The Northern Lincolnshire EFG aims to:
- Increase biodiversity in North Lincolnshire
- Improve water quality
- Achieve net carbon farming by 2040
- Generate new trading opportunities for farmers
Expanding the Network
The Northern Lincolnshire EFG is the 10th group of its kind established in the UK since 2020. The EFG network now includes 433 farmers, covering around 3% of England’s farmed area with a trading pipeline worth approximately £10 million.
Local leadership and membership appeal
Local farmers Andrew Jackson, from Pink Pig Farm, and William Sowerby, from Farming Forward, set up the Northern Lincolnshire group. The group covers areas surrounding Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Immingham, Louth, Crowle, and Epworth. They are now looking for more members in the area.
Law firm’s support
Catherine Harris, head of the agriculture sector at Wilkin Chapman, emphasised the importance 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. Farming plays a major role in the care of our ecosystem and I know environmental custodianship is very important to a great many farmers, so we hope that supporting the establishment and growth of this EFG will help farmers to work together to achieve this.”
Origins and growth of the EFG
The first Environmental Farmers Group was officially launched in May 2022 in the Avon area. Convened by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), the EFG model built on local farmer clusters to strengthen their position in delivering environmental goods and services for fair reward.
Navigating Natural Capital Markets
The EFG acts as a trusted navigator for farmers and landowners in the natural capital sector. It aims to use scale and member cooperation to secure the best environmental results and financial returns.
Member benefits
Members of the EFG gain access to:
- Trading opportunities in natural capital markets
- Guidance on how to trade
- Benefits from farmer buying power in natural capital markets
Early success and future opportunities
William Sowerby from the Northern Lincolnshire Environmental Farmers Group noted:
“Northern Lincolnshire was the first EFG group to be established outside the South of England. There was some early demand to replicate the EFG model in the area and so a steering group was pulled together to drive the model. The group has been sitting regularly since July 2023 and we have over 40 farmers expressing an interest so far. With its proximity to the industrial Humber bank, we see some key potential opportunities for EFG farmers to support growth in the area through cleaner water projects, as well as biodiversity and carbon mitigation for new industrial developments.”
The Northern Lincolnshire EFG is now looking for more members to join their initiative and contribute to sustainable farming and environmental stewardship in the region.
Image: Provided by Carrington Communications.
