Grants for Converting to Organic - England

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Applications open for organic conversion in England

The Countryside Stewardship Scheme provides funding for farmers and land managers in England to make environmental improvements. It is comprised of several key elements including Mid-Tier, which delivers a broad range of environmental benefits and Higher-Tier which supports the most environmentally significant sites and requires more complex management. Funding options under both elements provides financial support for farmers to convert to, and manage their farms to organic standards. Unlike other mid-tier funding options, organic conversion and maintenance applications are not competitive and therefore all eligible applications will be successful.

Organic conversion options are over a 5 year agreement with increased payments for the first 2 years, providing a financial boost for farmers through their conversion period. With the UK organic market now entering its ninth consecutive year of growth and the UK Government prioritising environment and soil health in the new Agricultural Bill, there are opportunities for farmers to certify and convert to organic. 

The new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) is expected to start in 2024 however the Government has promised that there will be flexibility to allow farmers entering Countryside Stewardship to transfer to ELMS if they wish. 

Rates on offer for organic conversion and maintenance

Based on 2019 figures, we expect the conversion and maintenance payments to be as follows. Agreements are over 5 years and conversion payments will normally be paid for up to 2 years, except for permanent crops such as fruit trees where a 3 year conversion period applies. Subsequent years are paid at the management rate.

Total payment per ha per year	Conversions rates (first 2 years)	Management rate (subsequent 3 years)
Rotational land	£175	£65
Improved Grassland	£75	£40
Unimproved Grassland	£50	£20
Horticultural land	£400	£200
Top Fruit	£450	£300
Enclosed rough grazing	-	£8

 

2020 key dates

The application and closing dates depend on whether you're making a Mid- or Higher-Tier application. 

Higher-Tier dates

• 31 March deadline for application pack request
• 1 May application deadline

Mid-Tier dates

• 31 May deadline for paper & phone application pack request & CSFO endorsement request
• 30 June online application pack request
• 31 July application deadline

Agreement start date

• Both Higher-Tier and Mid-Tier agreements will start on 1^st January 2021 and last for 5 years. 

 

Eligibility

In order to qualify for Countryside Stewardship funding, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be an active farmer
• Land parcels you want to include in your application must be registered in the Rural Payments service and linked to your single business identifier
• You must have full management control of the land for 5 years from the start of your agreement.
• You must certify with a registered organic certification body, such as Soil Association Certification, have started conversion by 1st January 2021 and maintain your organic registration through to the end of the agreement.
• Organic Conversion payments are not available on land where your business has previously been entered for, or received any Organic Conversion payments under a previous scheme, such as Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS).

 

How to apply

When applying for Countryside Stewardship funding for organic conversion and maintenance, there are two key steps you will need to follow:

1. You must apply for the Countryside Stewardship funding directly with the Rural Payments Agency. Please visit their website for further information and a step by step guide to applying for Countryside Stewardship.

2. You must also register with an organic certification body such as Soil Association Certification. This can be done either before or after applying for Countryside Stewardship funding. You will need to complete different steps in each case.

• Before applying for Countryside Stewardship funding: You must complete a conversion plan, which must be approved and signed off by an organic certification body like Soil Association Certification. This conversion plan will then need to be submitted as part of your application to Rural payments. We can help - Get in touch with our expert farming team to discuss how we can support you with this.
• After applying for Countryside Stewardship funding: If you want to apply for funding via the Rural Payments Agency before having had a Conversion Plan approved by a certification body, you must complete a Viability Plan, which must be submitted to the Rural Payments Agency along with your funding application. If you use a Viability Plan you must get an approved and signed-off Conversion Plan from your organic certification body and have started conversion before the agreement start date of 1^st Jan 2021.

• Get in touch

  Soil Association Certification is the UK’s leading organic certifier supporting thousands of farmers to convert to organic and grow their organic businesses. Get in touch with our expert farming certification team to find out how organic conversion and certification could work on your farm.

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