Farming for a Wilder Derbyshire

Farming for a Wilder Derbyshire

Working Together to Restore Nature and Support Viable Farm Businesses

With over 70% of Derbyshire’s land currently used for agriculture, farming plays a vital role in shaping our shared future, and in creating the spectacular landscapes that inspire people and demonstrate what's economically possible when we work with natural processes. From the food we eat to the health of our soils, rivers, and wildlife, the choices we make around land use directly affect our ability to build a wilder, more climate-resilient county. 

For decades, farmers have faced growing pressures: to produce more food at lower prices, with shrinking margins and increasingly unpredictable weather. Intensification and extractive practices weren’t choices made lightly, they’ve often been necessary responses to market demands, policy shifts and consumer expectations. 

But this model is reaching its limits, we need to create conditions where working with nature becomes the most profitable choice for farmers, not just the right thing to do - for nature, for the climate, and for farming itself. Farmland birds like turtle doves and corn buntings have vanished. Peatlands have been drained. Soil and water health is declining, and our resilience to extreme weather events is decreasing.  

Nature Loss: The Biggest Threat to UK Food Security

The decline in nature is predicted to result in a 12% loss of UK GDP in the coming years – more than the impact of both the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic combined. Unmitigated climate change is set to cost the UK billions each year. Nature is critical infrastructure and sustainable food production in the UK needs nature – it needs healthy soils, clean and plentiful water, and thriving insect populations because they are the foundation of farming.  

The UK Government’s latest Food Security Report 2024 reiterated that the main threats to UK food security are climate change and ecological breakdown. “Long term decline in the UK’s natural capital is a pressing risk to UK food production,” and, “Climate change, nature loss and water insecurity pose significant risks to the ability of global food production to meet demand over the longer term.” This means that the restoration of nature – including natural habitats, ecosystems, rivers, uplands, peatlands soils and much, much more – is critical to feed ourselves in the future. 

At Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, we believe that farmers are essential partners in delivering nature’s recovery. That’s why we’re working alongside them to create demonstration landscapes that prove how enhancing natural capital can provide better economic returns than conventional approaches alone and are sources of inspiration and practical knowledge that seed new approaches across working landscapes. 

sheep sheltering in the shade under a tree in a field

Nature can climate-proof farms. Here we see a tree providing critical shade and shelter from Derbyshire’s increasing droughts and hot weather events. Our Derwent Living Forest project supports farmers to consider wood pasture and other options for climate resilience.

NEIRF Project: Turning Green Finance into Nature Wins 

In one example, our NEIRF project is looking at ways to support farmers to engage with green finance. Green finance refers to loans, grants, and investment schemes designed to fund projects that deliver environmental benefits. The accessibility of green finance is critical to ensure the resilience of small and medium-sized farms that are struggling to transition away from the old Basic Payment Scheme. If farmers are equipped to explore their business options, then they can consider restoring space for nature on their land, while maintaining or improving the income they made in their traditional business model. Our team have reviewed the Green Finance Institute's Investment Readiness model and is creating toolkits that can equip farmers to translate it for Derbyshire farms. 

Carbon Innovation Fund: Exploring Climate-Smart Farming on Peatlands 

Another example is our Carbon Innovation Fund project, which focuses on one of Derbyshire’s less studied ecosystems: lowland peatlands. When healthy, these habitats store vast amounts of carbon and support rare biodiversity. But when drained, they become major sources of greenhouse gases. We’re exploring how farmers can restore peatland function without compromising calorific output or farm business viability. That includes developing new approaches to land use such as woodland products like tree fruits, nuts and wood , that support wet conditions and still generate income. We’re also testing satellite-based monitoring tools that allow us to track peatland health at scale, reducing costs and enabling farmers to access ecosystem markets with greater confidence. 

This work is helping us deliver our Wilder 2030 strategy, and will show how nature-friendly farming and peatland restoration can be both practical and profitable. Nature-friendly farming isn’t just possible, it’s essential. And with the right support, it can help secure a better future for farming, nature and people in Derbyshire. 

When farmers see consistent revenue from carbon storage, flood protection, and biodiversity credits alongside food production, whilst witnessing spectacular wildlife return to their land, they start calculating how to optimise their own natural capital portfolio. Our role is to prove what's possible, then support farmers in adapting these approaches to their own unique circumstances and opportunities. 

To find out what Derbyshire Wildlife Trust can do to support your farm business, email dlf@serbyshirewt.co.uk and we can add you to our farmer networks.