Abstract
Environmental Stewardship (ES) is the centrepiece in delivering the Government's sustainable agriculture and rural policies. The scheme contributes to Defra strategic priorities for natural resource protection, sustainable farming and food and sustainable rural communities. Following on from the Environmental Review of Progress (RoP) in 2008 it was decided that more could be done to improve on the Entry Level Strand (ELS) environmental outcomes. The RoP recommended that there was a greater need to promote ELS, influence option choice and provide better information and training on best practice for the actual land management options that are undertaken. Consequently the ELS Training and Information Programme (ETIP) has been developed to take up these recommendations. Its objectives are: •To ensure high renewal rates into ELS (70% target UAA) •To ensure strong uptake of U(ELS) - targets are; 505,000 ha in UELS by March 2011 (Defra and NE Corporate Plan) and 80% of SDA area by 2015 in agri-environment overall. •Bring in new entrants to the scheme, including from the currently less represented farm types •Improved option choice, including more locally beneficial, and improved implementation once in the scheme. This will be achieved through the provision of more training and advice to farmers thinking about entering or renewing into ELS and the provision of good practice training once in the scheme. There will be approximately 13,000 (O)ELS renewals this year (7,000 August, 1,000 September, 1,500 October, 2,000 November and 1,500 December) with further large peak in 2011. It is therefore essential to get an early insight into the influence that ETIP has on these renewals. Defra appreciates that an early investigation is unlikely to provide direct information regarding improvements in the quality of agreements (resulting from ETIP). However, there is an opportunity to assess the influence that ETIP has on option selection. Therefore, Defra, intends to ask for tenders in response to a specification for an initial evaluation of the influence of ETIP on option selection. It is our intention to commission further work on the impact of ETIP - regarding the quality of agreements and the potential for improving the delivery of outcomes - but it is not envisaged that this will be part of the initial evaluation. In addition there will be an evaluation of the content of the ETIP programme but, again, this will not be the focus for this evaluation.
United Kingdom