Nature restoration at the heart of where it’s needed most
To effectively restore nature, it is essential to allocate conservation resources where they are most needed and in amounts that support both wildlife and the environment. Agri-environment schemes (AES) are among the most significant tools in Europe for promoting environmental health across farmland. However, despite large investments, the benefits to biodiversity remain limited because these schemes often lack a coordinated, landscape-wide strategy. In England, AES are usually applied on a farm-by-farm basis, which means conservation resources are not strategically arranged, reducing their impact on large-scale nature recovery. Additionally, the single-site focus of previous AES has likely slowed the shift toward more conservation-friendly farming approaches, for example, by limiting opportunities for farmers to share knowledge and experiences.