Guidance

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme information for SFI 2022 standards agreements

Published 21 June 2023

Applies to England

1. About this SFI scheme information

This Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme information contains the requirements you must follow if you’ve entered into an SFI standards agreement containing the SFI standards we launched in June 2022 (the ‘SFI 2022 standards’).

The SFI 2022 standards include:

• the SFI arable and horticultural soils standard
• the SFI improved grassland soils standard
• the SFI moorland standard

These SFI standards will be replaced by the new SFI actions for soils and moorland when we launch the SFI 2023 offer from summer 2023. To find out more about the SFI 2023 offer, read the SFI Handbook for the SFI 2023 offer.

You must follow the mandatory scheme requirements explained in this SFI scheme information for the duration of your SFI standards agreement.

2. What the SFI 2023 offer means for existing SFI standards agreements

2.1 How we’ve improved SFI for 2023

We’ve learned from the SFI pilot and early rollout of SFI that farmers want as much flexibility as possible, so they can choose:

• what actions they want to do
• what area of land to do them on

This has helped us to improve the SFI 2023 offer to give farmers this flexibility. Farmers will also be able to do more SFI actions and other environmental land management options, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS), on either the same area of land or a different area in the same land parcel.

We’ve also brought forward many actions into the SFI23 offer which were previously scheduled for 2024.

2.2 What these improvements mean for SFI 2022 standards agreements

We’ll write to farmers with SFI 2022 standards agreements to explain how we’ll make sure they can:

• fully benefit from the improvements we’ve made to the SFI 2023 offer
• choose from the full range of standalone ‘pick and mix’ actions which will be in the SFI 2023 offer

3. Check you and your land are eligible for an SFI standards agreement

To enter into a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement, both you and your land must be eligible.

3.1 Your eligibility to apply for an agreement

We’ve closed applications for the SFI 2022 standards to get ready to start accepting applications for the SFI 2023 offer.

3.2 Your land’s eligibility

A land parcel is eligible to be entered into an SFI standards agreement if:

• it is wholly located in England

• its registered land cover (shown on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service) and its land type are eligible for the standards you choose

• you will have management control of the land for the duration of your 3-year SFI standards agreement

You can choose which eligible land parcels to enter. You do not have to include all of your land parcels and there is no minimum or maximum area.

3.3 Eligible land cover and type of land

You can only enter land into your SFI standards agreement that’s eligible for the standard you choose. This means it needs to:

• have an eligible ‘land cover’

• be an eligible land type

Land cover

Each land parcel has one or more registered land covers. These identify what broad category the land is. There are 4 categories of land cover:

• arable land

• permanent grassland

• permanent crops

• other (non-agricultural)

You can view the land cover currently registered for each land parcel outside a common on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service.

Common land is not shown on your digital maps. You can check the maps we have previously provided to you to check the land cover on the common land. When you apply for SFI on common land, you will be able to view the land parcels on a digital map as part of the application process.

Land type

The land type describes the detailed use of the broad category of land cover. For example, different types of grassland or arable crop types.

A land parcel with an eligible land cover for the standard you choose must also be a land type that’s eligible for that standard. This means its total ‘available area’ shown in your SFI application must be an eligible land type.

For example, if you choose the improved grassland soils standard, the land parcel must be improved grassland.

This is explained under ‘Eligible land’ in the information on each standard. You can also read more information about eligible land covers and land types.

3.4 Management control of land

To enter land into an SFI standards agreement you must have management control of that land for the 3-year duration of the agreement.

You will have management control if you have sufficient control over how the land is managed to complete the actions in the standards chosen, for the duration of the SFI standards agreement. This will usually mean you’re the person actively farming the land who is:

• the owner occupier, farming the land yourself or employing a contractor

• a tenant with a Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995, or an Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancy

• in a group that farms on common land (including areas of shared grazing)

When you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, you declare that you will have management control of that land for the agreement’s 3-year duration. You must supply evidence to show this if we ask for it.

The following information explains what management control means for tenants, licensors and commoners.

Management control of tenanted land

Only a tenant can enter land occupied under a tenancy into an SFI standards agreement. This is because they’re the person actively farming the land, not the landlord.

As a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete the actions in the standards you select.

If you occupy land under a tenancy on a ‘rolling’ year-by-year basis, you can only enter this land into your SFI standards agreement if you expect to have management control of that land for its 3-year duration. For example, this may be the case if you occupy land under:

• an FBT granted for a term of more than 2 years, that continues on a rolling year-by-year basis after its initial term ends

• an FBT granted for a term of 2 years or less that you expect your landlord to renew on an annual basis

You must not enter land into your SFI standards agreement if you do not expect to have management control of that land for its 3-year duration.

If you’re unsure whether you will have management control of the land occupied under a tenancy for the 3-year duration of your SFI standards agreement, you should check with your landlord.

If you unexpectedly lose management control of the land occupied under a tenancy during your 3-year SFI standards agreement, you must tell us as soon as reasonably practicable. We will remove that land from your SFI standards agreement.

If your loss of management control was because of a change of circumstances, you may not have to repay payments already received.

For more information, read about what happens if you cannot deliver your agreement, or your circumstances change.

Management control of land you access under a licence

If you only have access to land under a licence arrangement (so you’re a licensee), it’s unlikely you have sufficient management control of that land to complete the actions in the standards.

In this case, the licensor (usually the owner occupier) could enter the land into an SFI standards agreement and make the licensee aware of its requirements, if relevant.

If in practice your arrangement with the landowner gives you wider land management responsibilities, similar to those of a tenant, you may be able to enter this land into an SFI standards agreement. For example, some licences on Ministry of Defence land operate in this way. If this applies, you should refer to the information on tenanted land above.

Management control on commons and shared grazing land

Read about how the management control rule applies for commoners and shared graziers.

3.5 Other land eligibility issues to consider

You should also consider the following land eligibility issues.

Land in another agri-environment scheme agreement

Land in an existing agri-environment scheme agreement, such as Countryside Stewardship, may also be eligible for an SFI standards agreement if:

• you and your land are eligible for each scheme

• the activities you’re being paid for under each scheme are compatible

• you are not being paid twice for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as ‘double funding’)

Read the information about the interaction between SFI with other schemes.

Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

Read the information about regulatory issues and consents to find out how to request an SFI HEFER.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

Land designated as an SSSI is eligible for the SFI 2022 standards, but you may need consent from Natural England. This depends on which standard you’re applying for.

You must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations requiring Natural England consent (ORNEC) on SSSI land. You are responsible for making sure that you have complied with the consenting requirements set out in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 before you carry out any operations. If you don’t, you may be committing an offence.

4. Eligibility of commons and shared grazing land for an SFI standards agreement

This information explains the eligibility requirements for common land or an area of shared grazing to be entered into a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement.

You should read this information with the other Sustainable Farming Incentive standards information which applies to all SFI standards agreements.

You only have to meet a requirement in this information if the word ‘must’ is used. In this case, it’s part of your SFI standards agreement. The other information is to help you, but you don’t have to follow it.

This information will be kept under review as SFI is rolled out.

4.1 Definition of common land and shared grazing

For the purposes of an SFI standards agreement, ‘common land’ means:

• land registered as common land in a register of common land kept under Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006

• land to which Part 1 of that Act does not apply and which is subject to rights of common within the meaning of that Act

‘Shared grazing’ means communal pasture that isn’t registered as common land where graziers have a legal entitlement to graze. For example, a pasture used jointly by tenants.

The following information about commons also applies to areas of shared grazing.

4.2 Applying for an agreement on common land

You must enter common land or an area of shared grazing into its own SFI standards agreement. The agreement cannot include other land you own or rent that is not common land.

This means that you must submit separate applications in the Rural Payments service for:

• the common land and shared grazing, using the existing single entity’s Single Business Identifier (SBI) or a new SBI if a single entity needs to be set up

• land you own or rent that is not common land, using the SBI for your own business

4.3 Eligibility to enter common land into an agreement

To enter common land into an SFI standards agreement, you must:

• be a single entity, either as a sole beneficiary or a group

• have a formal, legally enforceable internal arrangement for a group

• have sufficient management control of the common land to complete the actions for the duration of the 3-year SFI standards agreement

The following information gives more information about each of these requirements.

Only a ‘single entity’ can apply for SFI on commons

Only a ‘single entity’ can enter into an SFI standards agreement on a common. This is to make sure that, where there is a group, the actions in the SFI standards agreement can be delivered by the single entity for the agreement’s 3-year duration.

A single entity can be:

• a person who will be the sole beneficiary

• a group of two or more people with a formal, legally enforceable internal arrangement between them, a nominated representative and a single bank account

A sole beneficiary will usually be a landowner who owns the whole common and has sole use and rights to the common.

A common may already have a single entity to oversee:

• an existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement on the common

• general management of the common

It should be possible for the group to extend the scope of the existing single entity (provided it meets the 4 criteria explained below for a new single entity). This single entity should apply for SFI, using the SBI it already has.

There should not be more than one single entity overseeing an agri-environment scheme agreement for the same area of land on the common. This includes CS, HLS and SFI.

If a group has not already set up a single entity to oversee an existing CS or HLS agreements or the general management of the common, it will need to do this before it applies for an SFI standards agreement on the common. It must register on the Rural Payments service to obtain a new SBI, even if some of the members already have their own SBIs individually.

It’s up to the group to decide how the new single entity is set up, but it must have:

• a main business contact identified for the RPA (the nominated representative)

• a bank account that’s registered with the RPA

• a formal, legally enforceable internal arrangement between the single entity’s members to deal with any breaches of the agreement that may lead to the RPA recovering payments

• sufficient management control of the common land to complete land management actions for the duration of the 3-year SFI standards agreement

You can find more information about management control under ‘Common land eligibility’.

You may find it helpful to read the Countryside Stewardship (CS) guidance about setting up a commons association or an internal agreement for common land and shared grazing. Where this CS guidance uses the word ‘must’ or ‘should’, that requirement applies to a CS agreement, not an SFI standards agreement.

In setting up the single entity you may want to consider issues such as:

• how changes in membership will be dealt with

• how payments will be distributed among members

• whether the nominated representative will give permission in the Rural Payments service for other members to view the relevant documentation

• how disputes will be resolved within the group

You do not have to submit a copy of your formal internal arrangement to us, but you must supply this evidence to us if we ask for it.

Additional payment for a single entity on common land

To help with the costs of administering an SFI standards agreement on common land, there is an annual additional payment of £6.15 per hectare of eligible common land entered into its own SFI standards agreement. Our intention is that this payment will be available to single entities involving a group of two or more people entering common land into an SFI standards agreement.

In future, as more standards are made available, this additional payment will continue to be paid per hectare of eligible common land entered into the SFI standards agreement, irrespective of the number of standards in the agreement.

This payment will be kept under review as SFI is rolled out.

4.4 Common land eligibility

An area of common land is eligible to be entered into an SFI standards agreement if:

• it’s wholly located in England

• the type of land and its mapped land cover are eligible for the standard(s) selected

• the single entity will have sufficient management control for the duration of the 3-year SFI standards agreement

4.5 Eligible land cover and type of land

You can only enter an area of common land into an SFI standards agreement if it’s eligible for the standard you choose. This means it needs to:

• have an eligible ‘land cover’

• be an eligible ‘land type’

Read the ‘Eligible land’ section in each standard for more information about eligible land cover and land type.

Common land is not shown on your digital maps. You can check the maps we have previously provided to you to check the land cover on the common land. When you apply for SFI on common land, you will be able to view the land parcels on a digital map as part of the application process. Before applications open, we’ll publish information on GOV.UK to help you apply on common land.

What area of common land can be entered into SFI

An SFI standards agreement on common land can include:

• a whole common

• more than one whole common, if they are managed as a single unit

• part of a common, if it’s a defined area that’s managed as a separate, single unit and the actions in the SFI standards agreement won’t impact land management practices on the remaining part of the common

If the common is in an existing CS or HLS agreement, that same land can be entered into an SFI standards agreement if:

• it’s eligible for the standards selected

• the activities being paid for under each scheme are compatible

• a similar activity isn’t being paid for on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)

It is recommended that the same CS or HLS agreement land is entered into the SFI standards agreement.

4.6 Management control

To enter common land into an SFI standards agreement, the single entity must have sufficient management control of that land for the 3-year duration of the SFI standards agreement.

The single entity should have management control of the common land if it has sufficient control over how the land is managed to complete the actions in the standards chosen for the duration of the SFI standards agreement.

The single entity must judge whether it has sufficient management control. This does not mean that every commoner has to agree or become part of the single entity. However, it does mean that those who are part of the single entity need to be able to deliver the actions in the SFI standards agreement.

To have sufficient management control, the group will need to consider whether the landowner needs to be part of the single entity. A group must also assess if the landowner’s consent is needed for the single entity to complete the actions in the SFI standards agreement. If the landowner’s consent is needed, the group must obtain it.

Before applying for SFI, a group must take reasonable steps to contact and consult everyone with a legal interest in managing the common land. This is to make sure they:

• are aware of the group’s intention to enter the common land into an SFI standards agreement

• have the chance to participate in the SFI standards agreement

The people with a legal interest in managing the common land include:

• all known common rights holders, whether they’re actively using their rights or not

• the landowner

• tenants

• anyone who has an easement or other rights and covenants over the land, including sporting tenants

You may find it helpful to read the CS guidance for more information about consulting other people with a legal interest in managing the common. Where this CS guidance uses the word ‘must’ or ‘should’, that requirement applies to a CS agreement, not an SFI standards agreement.

When the single entity enters common land into an SFI standards agreement, it declares that it will have management control of that land for the agreement’s 3-year duration. The single entity must supply evidence of this if we ask for it.

4.7 Entering into an SFI standards agreement

An SFI standards agreement on common land operates in the same way as an agreement on land outside a common.

If the SFI standards agreement conflicts with any statutory requirements for the management of the common, those statutory requirements take precedence. For example, if the common land is in an SSSI, or there are public engagement commitments. For more information, read the SFI scheme information about regulatory issues and consents.

Any breach of the common land SFI standards agreement will only apply to that agreement. It will not apply to any separate SFI standards agreement for land outside of the common that you own or rent.

5. How an SFI standards agreement interacts with other funding schemes

This information explains the interaction between land entered into a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement and other schemes, as well as other funding sources.

5.1 Including land in an SFI standards agreement and other schemes at the same time

It’s possible to include the same land in an SFI standards agreement and another scheme if:

• you and your land are eligible for each scheme

• the activities or outcomes you’re being paid for under each scheme are compatible

• you are not being paid for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)

5.2 Basic Payment Scheme

You can include the same land parcel in a BPS application and your SFI standards agreement, as long as it’s eligible for each scheme.

If you’ve applied for the Lump Sum Exit Scheme in 2022, you should not apply for an SFI standards agreement.

The only exception to this is if a partnership or limited company applied for the Lump Sum Exit Scheme and some of the partners or shareholders remain in the business. In this case, the remaining partners or shareholders are eligible to apply for an SFI standards agreement without repaying the lump sum.

5.3 Countryside Stewardship

The interaction between an SFI standards agreement and CS is different depending on whether there’s a revenue option or capital items funding.

CS revenue options

If land used for a CS revenue option has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type for the standard you choose, you can enter it into an SFI standards agreement if:

• the CS actions, including their timing, are compatible with the actions in the standard you choose

• you won’t be paid twice for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)

If this is not the case, the ineligible CS revenue option land, including any land currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option, cannot:

• be entered into an SFI standards agreement

• be used to complete any of the actions in the SFI standards

For example, you cannot enter:

• an area of land used to establish a cover crop under CS into the arable and horticultural soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard

• an area of land used for a CS grass buffer strip on an improved grassland parcel into the improved grassland soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard

The standard you choose affects which CS revenue options are compatible and do not lead to double funding.

CS revenue options and the moorland standard

Land used for all CS revenue options can be entered into the introductory level of the moorland standard, if it has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type.

This is because the introductory level of the moorland standard does not involve physical land management actions, so there is no incompatibility or double funding.

CS revenue options and the soils standards

You can enter land used for certain CS revenue options into the introductory and intermediate levels in the arable and horticultural soils standard or the improved grassland soils standard.

These eligible CS revenue options are set out in tables 1 and 2.

Table 1. Eligible CS revenue options for the arable and horticultural soils standard

CS revenue option
ED1: Educational access
BE3: Management of hedgerows
SP10: Administration of group managed agreements supplement
AB5: Nesting plots for lapwing
AB11: Cultivated areas for arable plants
AB14: Harvested low input cereal
AB12: Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds
SP9: Threatened species supplement
OP3: Supplementary feeding for farmland birds
OT3: Organic land management – rotational land
OT4: Organic land management – horticulture
OR3: Organic conversion - rotational land
OR4: Organic conversion – horticulture
HS3: Reduced-depth, non-inversion cultivation on historic and archaeological features
HS9: Restricted depth crop establishment to protect archaeology under an arable rotation

Table 2. Eligible CS revenue options for the improved grassland soils standard

CS revenue option
SW10: Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes
BE3: Management of hedgerows
BE6: Veteran tree surgery
BE7: Supplement for restorative pruning of fruit trees
ED1: Educational access
OT1: Organic land management - improved permanent grassland
OT3: Organic land management - rotational land
SP10: Administration of group managed agreements supplement
OR1: Organic conversion - improved permanent grassland
SW9: Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland
SP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on Isles of Scilly

If you use an area of a land parcel for a CS revenue option not listed in tables 1 and 2 above, that area cannot be entered into the soils standards.

However, you can enter the rest of the land parcel not covered by an ineligible CS revenue option into either of the soils standards (if it’s eligible land for the chosen standard).

For example, if part of a land parcel is used for a CS grass buffer strip, you can enter the rest of the area into either of the soils standards.

Rotational CS revenue options

A rotational CS revenue option is a multi-annual land management option that can be moved around identified land parcels in your CS agreement.

Each year of your CS agreement, you declare the area currently used for a rotational CS option. You do this either:

• on the CS annual revenue claim, usually submitted by 15 May each year

• by 1 September in the relevant year if you cannot declare its location on the CS annual revenue claim

Any area within a land parcel that’s currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option cannot be entered into the soils standards.

You can enter the rest of the land parcel not covered by an ineligible rotational CS revenue option into either of the soils standards (if it’s eligible land for the chosen standard).

The area currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option will be automatically removed from the ‘available area’ in your SFI application. This means the total area entered into your SFI standards agreement does not include the area currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option.

Once your SFI standards agreement has started, the ineligible rotational CS revenue option area can be moved around the land parcels in your agreement. This is because we’ve already removed that area from your SFI application. However, this is only possible if the area of the ineligible rotational CS revenue option does not exceed the area automatically removed from the ‘available area’ in your SFI application.

CS capital items funding

If you apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement, the same land parcel can be entered into an SFI standards agreement.

5.4 Environmental Stewardship

If land used for an Environmental Stewardship (ES) revenue option has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type for the standard you choose, you can enter it into an SFI standards agreement if:

• the ES actions, including their timing, are compatible with the actions in the standard you choose

• you won’t be paid twice for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)

If this is not the case, the ineligible ES revenue option land, including any land currently used for an ineligible rotational ES revenue option, cannot be:

• entered into an SFI standards agreement

• used to complete any of the actions in the SFI standards

For example, you cannot enter an area of land:

• used to establish a cover crop under ES into the arable and horticultural soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard

• used for an ES grass buffer strip on an improved grassland parcel into the improved grassland soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard

The standard you choose affects which ES revenue options are compatible and do not lead to double funding.

ES revenue options and the moorland standard

Land used for ES revenue options can be entered into the introductory level of the moorland standard if it has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type.

This is because the introductory level of the moorland standard does not involve physical land management actions, so there is no incompatibility or double funding.

ES revenue options and the soils standards

You can enter land used for certain ES revenue options into the introductory and intermediate levels in the arable and horticultural soils standard or the improved grassland soils standard in 2022.

These eligible ES revenue options are set out in tables 3 and 4.

Table 3. Eligible ES revenue options for the arable and horticultural soils standard

ES revenue option
HD6: Crop establishment by direct drilling (non-rotational)
HF20: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants
HG7: Low input spring cereal to retain or re-create an arable mosaic
HJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
HB11: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (2 sides)
HB12: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (1 side)
OU1: Organic Management
HD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features
OHD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features
ED3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features
OD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features
HR6: Supplement for small fields
EF11: Uncropped, cultivated margins for rare plants on arable land
UOX2: Grassland and arable
UX2: Grassland and arable
EB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge)
EB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB3)
EB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance
EB12: Earth bank management (on both sides)
EB13: Earth bank management (on one side)
EB14: Hedgerow restoration
EB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge)
EB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife
EB4: Stone faced hedge bank management on both sides
EB5: Stone faced hedge bank management on one side
EB6: Ditch management
EB7: Half ditch management
EB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB1)
EB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB2)
EC23: Establishment of hedgerow trees by tagging
EC3: Maintenance of woodland fences
EF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
EG1: Under sown spring cereals
EJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off
EJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
HF20NR: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants
HF24: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
HG1: Undersown spring cereals
HG7NR: Low input spring cereal to retain or re-create an arable mosaic
HJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off
HN8: Educational access - base payment
HN8CW: Educational access - base payment
HN9: Educational access - payment per visit
HN9CW: Educational access - payment per visit
ILC: Improved land conversion payment
OB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge)
OB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB3)
OB11: Stonewall protection and maintenance
OB12: Earth bank management (on both sides)
OB13: Earth bank management (on one side)
OB14: Hedgerow restoration
OB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge)
OB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife
OB4: Stone faced Hedge bank management on both sides
OB5: Stone faced Hedge bank management on one side
OB6: Ditch management
OB7: Half ditch management
OB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB1)
OB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB2)
OC3: Maintenance of woodland fences
OF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
OG1: Under sown spring cereals
OHG1: Undersown spring cereals
OHJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
OJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
UB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line
UB12: Earth bank management (both sides) on/above the moorland line
UB13: Earth bank management (one side) on/above the moorland line
UB14: Hedgerow restoration
UB17: Stone wall restoration
UB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on or above ML
UB5: Stone-faced hedgebank management (one side) on or above ML
UC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands
UJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses
UOB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line
UOB14: Hedgerow restoration
UOB17: Stone wall restoration
UOB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML
UOC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands
UOJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses

Table 4. Eligible ES revenue options for the improved grassland soils standard

ES revenue option
HQ13: Inundation grassland supplement
HIOS1: Landscape management
HIOS2: Management of rare arable bulb/flora
UD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland
UHD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland
UOD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland
HJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
HB11: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (2 sides)
HB12: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (1 side)
EK5: Mixed stocking
HK5: Mixed stocking
OHK5: Mixed stocking
OK5: Mixed stocking
UX1: Commons and shared grazing
HJ8: Nil fertiliser supplement
OU1: Organic Management
HL15: Seasonal livestock exclusion supplement
HJ7: Seasonal livestock removal from intensively managed grassland
HL16: Shepherding supplement
HR7: Supplement for difficult sites
UOX2: Grassland and arable
UX2: Grassland and arable
UHJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes
UJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes
UOJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes
EB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge)
EB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB3)
EB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance
EB12: Earth bank management (on both sides)
EB13: Earth bank management (on one side)
EB14: Hedgerow restoration
EB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge)
EB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife
EB4: Stone faced hedge bank management on both sides
EB5: Stone faced hedge bank management on one side
EB6: Ditch management
EB7: Half ditch management
EB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB1)
EB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB2)
EC4: Management of woodland edges
EC23: Establishment of hedgerow trees by tagging
EC3: Maintenance of woodland fences
EF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
EJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off
I EJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
HF24: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
HJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off
HN8: Educational access - base payment
HN8CW: Educational access - base payment
HN9: Educational access - payment per visit
HN9CW: Educational access - payment per visit
ILC: Improved land conversion payment
OB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge)
OB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB3)
OB11: Stonewall protection and maintenance
OB12: Earth bank management (on both sides)
OB13: Earth bank management (on one side)
OB14: Hedgerow restoration
OB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge)
OB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife
OB4: Stone faced Hedge bank management on both sides
OB5: Stone faced Hedge bank management on one side
OB6: Ditch management
OB7: Half ditch management
OB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB1)
OB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB2)
OC3: Maintenance of woodland fences
OF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds
OHJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
OJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing
UB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line
UB12: Earth bank management (both sides) on/above the moorland line
UB13: Earth bank management (one side) on/above the moorland line
UB14: Hedgerow restoration
UB17: Stone wall restoration
UB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML
UB5: Stone-faced hedgebank management (one side) on/above ML
UC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands
UJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses
UOB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line
UOB14: Hedgerow restoration
UOB17: Stone wall restoration
UOB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML
UOC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands
UOJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses

Rotational ES revenue options

A rotational ES revenue option is a multi-annual land management option that can be moved around identified land parcels in your ES agreement.

Each year of your ES agreement, you declare the area currently used for a rotational ES option. You do this either:

• on the ES annual revenue claim, usually submitted by 15 May each year

• by 1 September in the relevant year if you cannot declare its location on the ES annual revenue claim

Any area within a land parcel that’s currently used for an ineligible rotational ES revenue option cannot be entered into the soils standards.

Once your SFI standards agreement has started, the ineligible rotational ES revenue option area can be moved around the land parcels in your agreement. This is because we’ve already removed that area from your SFI application. However, this is only possible if the area of the ineligible rotational ES revenue option does not exceed the area we’ve removed from the ‘available area’ in your SFI application.

5.5 Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

Land parcels already in a Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot standards agreement cannot be entered into your SFI standards agreement.

5.6 Landscape Recovery

You can apply for Landscape Recovery on land entered into an SFI standards agreement, as long as the eligibility and compatibility requirements are met and there’s no double funding.

5.7 Farming in Protected Landscapes

If you have land in a National Park Authority or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) you can apply for Farming in Protected Landscapes funding and enter that same land into an SFI standards agreement, as long as the eligibility and compatibility requirements are met and there’s no double funding.

Private sector schemes

You can enter the same area of land into an SFI standards agreement and a private sector scheme arrangement, such as carbon trading or payments for natural flood management.

The approach to private sector schemes will be reviewed by Defra annually.

6. Check regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement

This information covers some of the land-based regulatory issues and consents that may affect you and your land. You must comply with all the other legal requirements that apply to you and your land.

If the SFI standards agreement conflicts with any statutory requirements for the management of the land, you must comply with those statutory requirements.

You will need to check if the land you’re entering into an SFI standards agreement:

• has scheduled monuments, historic or archaeological features

• is in a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

If the land is affected by one of these it may affect:

• what you are able to do on that land

• whether you need to get consent before you enter the land into an SFI standards agreement

6.1 Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

You must not complete action 4 (establish and maintain herbal leys) in the improved grassland soils standard on any area with historical or archaeological features identified on your SFI HEFER. You will still be paid for this area entered into the standard.

Before you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, read more about:

• scheduled monuments, as you may need consent from Historic England

• works in a conservation area, which may need consent from your local planning authority

You should avoid taking soil samples on land containing historic or archaeological features. If you need to take samples on land containing a scheduled monument to meet the requirements in your SFI standards agreement, you must get consent from Historic England. You must not take any soil samples on the land containing the scheduled monument until Historic England tells you it has given its consent.

6.2 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

If you have land in an SSSI that you’re entering into an SFI standards agreement, you may need consent from Natural England. This depends on which standard you’re applying for.

Check MAGIC to find out if there is an SSSI on your land.

Arable and horticultural soils standard

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory and intermediate levels of the arable and horticultural soils standard.

However, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations requiring Natural England consent on the SSSI land to meet the actions in the introductory or intermediate levels under the arable and horticultural soils standard.

If consent is required, you may want to get this from Natural England before you enter the land into an SFI standards agreement, to make sure you can complete the actions required under the arable and horticultural soils standard once your agreement starts.

Improved grassland soils standard

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory and intermediate levels of the improved grassland soils standard. However, you must not complete action 4 (establish and maintain herbal leys) on SSSI land.

While it is unlikely that the other actions under the introductory and intermediate levels of the improved grassland soils standard will be listed operations requiring Natural England consent, it is your responsibility to check.

If you intend to complete the other actions by carrying out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations on the SSSI land.

Moorland standard

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory level of the moorland standard.

While it is unlikely that the actions under the introductory level of the moorland standard will be listed operations requiring Natural England consent, it is your responsibility to check.

If you intend to complete the actions by carrying out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations on the SSSI land.

Find out if you need SSSI consent

You can find the listed operations requiring Natural England consent on your SSSI land by searching for the SSSI on the designated sites system (DSS). You can also find more information about getting consent to carry out operations on SSSI land on GOV.UK.

If you need to get consent from Natural England to carry out a listed operation on SSSI land, you will need to provide the required information about the activities you’re proposing to do. Read the GOV.UK information about what details to include when you request consent.

When you enter SSSI land into an SFI standards agreement, you declare that you understand the agreement does not operate as SSSI consent and that you will apply separately for consent from Natural England, where relevant. You must supply evidence to show that the necessary consent was obtained from Natural England this if we ask for it.

6.3 Cross compliance

The cross compliance rules do not apply to an SFI standards agreement. However, you still need to meet any regulatory requirements that apply to you or your land. Being in an SFI standards agreement does not remove these requirements.

You must follow the cross compliance rules if you:

• apply for BPS

• have land in other rural payments schemes covered by these rules

6.4 Protected species

You may need a wildlife licence if any of the actions in the standards you include in your SFI application may affect protected species. You should keep the licence for evidence. You can read more information at managing wildlife on your land on GOV.UK.

6.5 Work affecting water

If you’re doing any work that may affect watercourses, you may need consent from the Environment Agency, or the relevant internal drainage board or local authority.

7. How an SFI standards agreement works

This information explains what you’re agreeing to when you enter into an SFI standards agreement, when it will start and what changes you can request once your agreement starts.

7.1 Entering into an agreement

Your SFI standards agreement comprises the:

• agreement document, which you can view in the Rural Payments service

• standards you have chosen

• scheme terms and conditions

By accepting your SFI standards agreement, you are agreeing to follow the scheme terms and conditions.

7.2 When your agreement will start

SFI standards agreements do not all start on a single date.

If you accept your agreement by the end of the calendar month, it will start on the first day of the following calendar month. If you do not, it will start later, on the next available start date.

Your SFI standards agreement will last for 3 years from its start date, as shown on your agreement document.

7.3 Submit an annual declaration to confirm progress of your agreement

You must submit an annual declaration to confirm you’ve complied, or expect to have complied, with the obligations under your agreement for the relevant agreement year. This allows us to pay you the final quarterly instalment of your annual payment for that agreement year.

When to submit an annual declaration

Each year of your SFI standards agreement, you must submit your annual declaration during the last 2 months of the relevant agreement year (the annual ‘declaration period’).

The timing of your annual declaration period will depend on your SFI standards agreement’s start date. We’ll tell you when your annual declaration is available to complete.

If you do not submit your annual declaration by the end of the relevant agreement year, we may be unable to make the final quarterly instalment of your annual payment. We may also withhold your other payments or recover payments, and your agreement may be ended.

Your annual declaration will not be available to complete if:

• you’ve already told us about a ‘change of circumstances’, which means you’ve not been able to comply with your SFI standards agreement

• there are other outstanding queries about your SFI standards agreement

If this is the case, your annual declaration will not be available to complete until we’ve resolved these issues.

For the first year of your SFI standards agreement, the table below sets out when the annual declaration period opens and closes for each agreement start date.

Agreement start date	Declaration period opens	Declaration period closes
1 July 2022	1 May 2023	30 June 2023
1 August 2022	1 June 2023	31 July 2023
1 September 2022	1 July 2023	31 August 2023
1 October 2022	1 August 2023	31 September 2023
1 November 2022	1 September 2023	31 October 2023
1 December 2022	1 October 2023	30 November 2023
1 January 2023	1 November 2023	31 December 2023
1 February 2023	1 December 2023	31 January 2024
1 March 2023	1 January 2023	29 February 2024
1 April 2023	1 February 2024	31 March 2024
1 May 2023	1 March 2024	30 April 2024

How to submit an annual declaration

You’ll submit your annual declaration online in the Rural Payments service.

When we notify you that your annual declaration is available for you to complete, sign in to the Rural Payments service, go to your ‘Business overview’ screen and select ‘SFI applications and agreements’.

If your annual declaration is available for you to complete, you’ll see an ‘Annual Declaration’ button. Select that and confirm if you’re in a position to submit your annual declaration.

If you’ve been unable to comply, or expect to be unable to comply, with the obligations under your SFI agreement for the relevant agreement year:

• select ‘No’

• tell us about the ‘change of circumstances’ which has prevented you from complying with your SFI agreement.

Read more about checking progress of your SFI standards agreement.

7.4 Requesting changes to your agreement

You may be able to request certain changes to your SFI standards agreement.

7.5 Upgrading your agreement

We will not accept a request to ‘upgrade’ an existing SFI standards agreement at the end of its first year. This is because we want to make sure you can:

• fully benefit from the improvements we’ve made to the SFI 2023 offer

• choose from the full range of standalone ‘pick and mix’ actions which will be in the SFI 2023 offer

7.6 Removing standards, reducing the levels in the standards or land area in your SFI standards agreement or ending it early

You’re usually expected to deliver your SFI standards agreement for its 3-year duration without:

• removing standards

• reducing the level that you’ve selected for a standard

• removing land from the agreement

• ending the agreement early

In certain situations, it may be possible for you to do this before its 3-year duration is completed. For example, we may agree to do this if you have a change of circumstances that makes it impossible for you to deliver all or part of the agreement.

If we agree to remove standards, reduce levels of the standards or remove land, or end your agreement early, you may have to repay some, or all, of the money already paid to you.

Your SFI standards agreement payments are based on you completing the actions in the standards for a full agreement year, including submitting your annual declaration. If you have done this, you will not have to repay the money already paid to you. If you have not, you may need to make a repayment for the affected agreement year.

7.7 Transferring an SFI standards agreement to another person

It will not usually be possible for you to transfer an SFI standards agreement to another person.

If land in your SFI standards agreement is transferred to another person, for example it is sold or a tenancy ends and there is a new tenant, you must notify us about this change of circumstances in writing as soon as reasonably practicable.

8. Getting paid for an SFI standards agreement

This information explains how your Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement payment will be calculated, when you’ll be paid and what you must do to get paid.

8.1 How your payment is calculated

The total annual payment for your SFI standards agreement is based on the number of hectares (ha) of eligible land you enter into each level of a standard.

Standard	Level	Total annual payment
Arable and horticultural soils	Introductory	£22 per hectare
	Intermediate	£40 per hectare
Improved grassland soils	Introductory	£28 per hectare
	Intermediate	£58 per hectare
Moorland	Introductory	£10.30 per hectare

Where relevant, your total annual payment may also include an additional payment for:

• the moorland standard (£265 per agreement per year)

• common land entered into a separate SFI standards agreement (£6.15 per ha)

You will not be paid for actions you are already required to do by law. 

SFI management payment

In 2023, we’re introducing an additional, annual ‘SFI management payment’. This is to recognise the management and administrative costs for farmers entering into and managing an SFI agreement. 

The SFI management payment will be £20 per hectare per year, for up to the first 50 hectares entered into your SFI standards agreement. The maximum SFI management payment will be £1,000 per year for each farm business (SBI).  

The SFI management payment will be based on the area, up to 50 hectares, you enter into all the SFI 2022 standards, including the introductory level of the SFI moorland standard. 

If you have more than 1 SFI agreement, we’ll calculate and pay the SFI management payment for the area, up to 50 hectares, entered into the ‘live’ SFI agreement which started first. 

The value of the SFI management payment will not be shown in your agreement document. You’ll need to confirm that you accept the updated SFI standards agreement terms and conditions so we can pay it to you. You’ll do this online when you submit your annual declaration, towards the end of the first year of your SFI standards agreement. 

For SFI standards agreements which started on or before 1 January 2023, the SFI management payment will accrue from 1 January 2023. SFI standards agreements which started after 1 January 2023 will accrue the SFI management payment from the relevant start date for the agreement. 

We expect to start making the SFI management payment to farmers with SFI standards agreements by summer 2023. It will not be made as part of the quarterly instalments of your total annual payment, and it will not show on your payment statement. We’ll pay it to you separately.  

We’ll keep the SFI management payment under review as we roll out SFI.

8.2 When you will be paid

The total annual payment value is divided into 4 equal instalments and paid on a quarterly basis. The first quarterly payment will usually be made mid-way through the 4th month after the start date of your SFI standards agreement. Your subsequent quarterly payments will then be every 3 months after that.

Unlike other schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship, you don’t need to submit an annual revenue claim before you get paid. Your quarterly payments will usually be made automatically.

8.3 What you must do to get paid

To get paid under your SFI standards agreement, you must:

• complete the actions in the standards you have chosen for a full agreement year

• submit your annual declaration to confirm progress of your agreement

• supply evidence specified in the standards when we ask for it

A full agreement year means each 12-month period from the start date of your SFI standards agreement.

If the levels of the standards or area of land in your SFI standards agreement are reduced, or it’s ended early, you may have to repay some or all of the money already paid to you. Read more about requesting changes to your agreement.

If you do not submit an annual declaration, your payments could be withheld. Read more about submitting an annual declaration.

8.4 Future changes to actions in the standards and payment rates

During your 3-year SFI standards agreement, the actions and payment rates for the standards you have chosen will not change, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

9. Checking progress of your SFI standards agreement

We’re using a new, supportive approach for checking progress of your SFI standards agreement and that you’ve met its terms and conditions.

If you cannot deliver your SFI standards agreement, we’ll start by helping you to fix what’s gone wrong, wherever possible. Unlike previous schemes, there will be no additional financial ‘penalties’ applied.

The SFI 2022 standards have been designed to include actions that you should be able to complete, to achieve the set of aims for each standard. You must do what’s required, but it’s up to you how to complete the actions, so you can make them work for your farm.

While the actions avoid being prescriptive, some do require you to complete an action on a percentage of land entered into the standard. In this case, it’s worth allowing a margin of error.

For example, in the SFI 2022 arable and horticultural soils standard you must have at least 70% winter cover on land entered into the standard. You may want to try to do this on a slightly larger area.

9.1 What we may check

During your 3-year SFI standards agreement, we may check that you are:

• meeting your agreement’s terms and conditions

• achieving the aims of the standards, by completing the required actions in a way that works on your farm

9.2 How we’ll check your agreement

We’ll use a range of methods to check progress of your SFI standards agreement, including:

• reviewing the annual declaration that you submit

• checking evidence we ask a proportion of agreement holders to supply, such as a soil management plan or soil organic matter test results

• carrying out site visits (physical or by video call) for a proportion of agreement holders

• using remote monitoring technology, such as aerial photography and satellite imagery

Annual declaration

You must submit an annual declaration for each year of your SFI standards agreement. This is to confirm your progress on completing the actions in your agreement. Read about submitting an annual declaration to confirm progress of your agreement.

Evidence you need to keep

You can find out what evidence to keep for each action in the details of each standard. The evidence will show what you’ve done to complete the action. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

By completing all of the actions under the level selected for the standards, you should achieve the set of aims for that standard. The aim for each action is also explained in the details of each standard.

If we check progress of your SFI standards agreement and it’s not clear that you’ve achieved the action’s aim, we may ask you for the evidence to show what you’ve done to complete the action.

Site visits

If your farm is selected for a site visit, we’ll try to arrange a suitable time and date with you in advance and let you know what to expect during the visit.

If that’s not possible, we’ll write to you by post or email explaining the purpose, date and time of the visit. This will be at least 48 hours before the visit.

An RPA field officer will then visit your farm. In most cases, the site visit will involve a discussion with you about how:

• the aims of the standards in your SFI standards agreement have been achieved

• the actions in the standards have been completed

Where necessary to guide improvements, the RPA field officer will be able to conduct a review of all aspects of your SFI standards agreement.

Read the legislation for the exact details of what someone visiting (or ‘authorised person’) can do.

Remote monitoring

Remote monitoring uses aerial photography and satellite imagery to monitor things like land cover, vegetation condition and soil erosion risk.

Remote monitoring aims to:

• reduce the number of physical site visits

• make sure the standards are delivering environmental benefits

• automatically identify potential issues so that you can be given targeted support and guidance

9.3 What happens if you cannot deliver your agreement, or your circumstances change

If you find that you cannot deliver your SFI standards agreement, we’ll try to be flexible and start by helping you to fix what’s gone wrong.

You may be unable to deliver your SFI standards agreement because something happens that:

• prevents you completing the required actions

• affects how you can deliver your agreement

• means your circumstances change

This may be for reasons within or outside your control.

If this is the case, you must notify us, in writing, as soon as reasonably practicable, if that change of circumstances affects:

• your eligibility

• the amount of money you should get

• your ability to deliver actions in the standards within your 3-year SFI agreement

• your ability to comply with scheme terms and conditions

When you write to us, you should include:

• your Single Business Identifier (SBI)

• your agreement reference number

• as many details as possible about the change of circumstances, including specific details about the standards you’re having issues with

We’ll look at each change of circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Depending on what’s happened, we may decide to:

• amend your agreement

• end your agreement early

• adjust your payments

• ask you to repay money already paid to you

If you do not agree with our decision, you can use the complaints process to ask for it to be reconsidered. You must do this within 60 calendar days of the date you are notified of our decision.

It will be a breach of your agreement if you do not tell us about the change of circumstances when you are required to.

9.4 How you could breach your agreement

You could breach your SFI standards agreement if you do not meet its terms and conditions.

This includes if you:

• do not complete the actions required in the standards

• do not report, as soon as reasonably practicable, a change of circumstances which affects your ability to deliver your agreement

• give false or misleading information

• do not provide information or evidence when it’s asked for, in the way it’s asked for

• prevent a site visit from being carried out

• refuse to assist an authorised person during a site visit

9.5 What happens if there has been a suspected breach

We may find a suspected breach during checks on the progress of your SFI standards agreement. If this happens, we will investigate the suspected breach. Unlike previous schemes, we will not usually withhold your payments if a breach is suspected.

Where possible we’ll discuss this investigation with you, so you understand what we’ve considered. You may also be asked to supply further information or evidence to us as part of this investigation.

Once we’ve completed our investigation, we’ll tell you the outcome. If you do not agree with the outcome, you’ll have the opportunity to make written representations on why you do not agree. When we write to you with the outcome of the investigation, we’ll explain how to make written representations, including the time limit for submitting these to us.

We’ll consider your written representations before making a formal determination on whether there has been a breach.

9.6 What happens if a breach is confirmed

If we decide that there has been a breach of your SFI standards agreement, we’ll write to inform you of this within a reasonable period. We’ll give you the reasons for this decision. We’ll then decide what action needs to be taken, if any.

To do this, we’ll look at the individual circumstances of your case and consider various factors such as:

• the seriousness of the breach

• if you had a good reason for the breach

• why the breach happened and any consequences it may have

• what impact the breach has on delivering the aims of your SFI standards agreement, and whether that impact will be short or longer term

• if you can take action to make sure you are delivering your SFI standards agreement

• any past conduct and whether similar breaches have happened before

• if you intentionally breached your SFI standards agreement

• whether the breach constitutes an offence and has caused widespread or irreparable damage

• if you have not co-operated with us checking on your progress of your SFI standards agreement

• whether you’ve notified us about a change of circumstances, if relevant

If you do not agree with our decision, you can use the complaints procedure to ask for it to be reconsidered. You must do this within 60 calendar days of the date you are notified about our decision.

9.7 Good reasons for a breach

There may be a ‘good reason’ for a breach of your SFI standards agreement, for reasons outside your control.

In this case, you (or someone authorised to act on your behalf) must write to us to explain this.

You must write to us immediately if your good reason relates to you:

• preventing us from carrying out a site visit,

• refusing to provide assistance with a site visit

In all other cases, you must do this within 8 weeks from either the date:

• you are able to

• we notify you of the breach

In practice, we’ll also take good reasons into account when we investigate suspected breaches. During this investigation, if we agree that there are good reasons for a breach, we may be able to tell you during that investigation what, if anything, needs to be done.

Good reasons for a breach include, but are not limited to:

• natural events, such as prolonged adverse weather conditions, flooding, or animal or plant disease

• if you are seriously ill

• the death of an agreement holder

• unforeseen loss of management control of land, for example when a tenancy is terminated, or because of the compulsory purchase of land by a third party

• financial circumstances, such as bankruptcy

• evidenced supply chain problems, such as a lack of soil testing capacity

• criminal damage by a third party, such as arson or vandalism

When you write to us, you should include your Single Business Identifier (SBI), agreement reference number and explain:

• what has happened

• what good reason led to the breach

• whether you can fix the problem

• how the good reason meant you were unable to deliver your SFI standards agreement

• any evidence or information that may support your case

We will then:

• consider your individual situation and may ask for additional evidence

• decide what action, if any, needs to be taken

If you are aware of the issue when entering into your SFI standards agreement, it’s unlikely we’ll consider it to be a good reason for a breach.

9.8 What action we may take when there is a breach

We may not take any action at all depending on:

• the nature of the breach

• any evidence you supply of a good reason for the breach

If we need to take action, we’ll look at what you can do to fix what’s gone wrong with the delivery of your SFI standards agreement. We may also consider taking more formal action to deal with the breach.

If we need to take more formal action, you may have to repay some or all of the payments already made to you. This is because your payments are based on you completing the actions in the standards for a full agreement year, including submitting your annual declaration. A full agreement year means each 12-month period from the start date of your SFI standards agreement.

If you have to make a repayment, there will be no additional financial ‘penalties’ applied, as used to be applied under previous schemes.

If we decide it’s possible for you to fix what’s gone wrong with the delivery of your SFI standards agreement, we will write to you and explain what you must do.

If you do this within the relevant full agreement year, you will not have to repay payments already received for that year.

If you do not do this within the relevant full agreement year, you will not have completed all the actions you need to. This means you will have to repay payments already received for that year. We may also amend your SFI standards agreement. Depending on the circumstances, your future payments may be reduced or withheld.

We may decide that there is a serious breach because it was:

• intentional

• due to negligence or recklessness

• has happened more than once, without good reason.

In this case of a serious breach, we could:

• end your SFI standards agreement

• prevent you from receiving payments under any other financial assistance scheme for up to 2 years.

Where there is evidence of fraud or illegality, we will pursue that in line with the law on those issues.

10. Terms and conditions

1. Introduction

1.1 The Sustainable Farming Incentive

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (“SFI”) is a scheme run by the Rural Payments Agency (referred to below as “us”, “we, “our”) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“Defra”). It is part of the Environmental Land Management Scheme under section 1 of the Agriculture Act 2020 and in conjunction with the Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021 (“the Regulations”).

1.2 About these Terms and Conditions:

(a) The SFI standards agreement (the “Agreement”) comprises:

  (i) the “Agreement Document”, which describes the sum to be paid to you (the “Grant”) for delivering the chosen standard(s) to the level you have selected (the “Standards”)

  (ii) these “Terms and Conditions”, which are applicable to the payment of the Grant; and

  (iii) the “Standards”

(b) If there is any conflict between these Terms and Conditions, the Agreement Document and the Standards, these Terms and Conditions will be given priority.

(c) When the agreement holder (“you”) enters the Agreement, you are agreeing to the terms applicable to the payment of the Grant.

1.3 Why you should read the Terms and Conditions

You should read the Terms and Conditions carefully because they provide information including:

(a) how we will pay the Grant to you, as set out in your Agreement Document;

(b) how you or we may change or end the Agreement; and

(c) what you need to do if you cannot comply with your obligations under the Agreement.

1.4 References in the Terms and Conditions:

(a) Definitions of capitalised terms are defined in this document when they are first referred to and can also be found in the glossary at the end of this document. (The glossary can be found in the standalone version of these terms and conditions.)

(b) A reference to the “Law” means any law, statute, subordinate legislation within the meaning of Section 21(1) of the Interpretation Act 1978, byelaw, right within the meaning of Section 4(1) EU Withdrawal Act 2018 as amended by EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, regulation, order, regulatory policy, mandatory guidance or code of practice, judgement of a relevant court of law, or directives or requirements of any regulatory body with which you are required to comply.

(c) A reference to a statute or statutory provision is a reference to it as amended, extended or re-enacted from time to time and shall include all subordinate legislation made under that statute or statutory provision.

(d) A reference to a public organisation includes a reference to any successor to that public organisation.

(e) Any words following the terms ‘including’, ‘include’, ‘in particular’ or ‘for example’ or any similar phrase shall be construed as illustrative and shall not limit the generality of the related general words.

(f) Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and in the plural shall include the singular.

1.5 SFI Scheme Information

We have published information relating to SFI on GOV.UK (the “Scheme Information”). The Scheme Information includes:

(a) the Standards;

(b) the “Scheme Rules” that further explain the mandatory requirements of your Agreement as established by these Terms and Conditions. The Scheme Rules are contained in the following sections of the Scheme Information on GOV.UK:

• Check you and your land are eligible for an SFI standards agreement

• Eligibility of commons and shared grazing for an SFI standards agreement

• Check regulatory issues and consents that could affect a SFI standards agreement

• How an SFI standards agreement works

• Getting paid for an SFI standards agreement

• Checking progress of your SFI standards agreement; and

(c) other scheme information and guidance that is not listed at condition 1.5(a) or condition 1.5(b) which is there to help you. This other scheme information and guidance will not be used to introduce or explain mandatory requirements of your Agreement.

2. About your Agreement

2.1 Your Agreement

The Agreement comprises:

(a) the Agreement Document, including any documents referenced in the Agreement Document;

(b) these Terms and Conditions (which are further explained in the Scheme Rules as explained in condition 1.5(b)); and

(c) the Standards you have selected.

2.2 What you are declaring

By entering the Agreement you confirm that:

(a) the declarations you made in your SFI application for the Grant remain true and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief;

(b) you have full capacity and authority to enter into the Agreement;

(c) you are not aware of any circumstances which would render you ineligible for the Grant or otherwise prevent you from complying with your obligations under the Agreement;

(d) your obligations under the Agreement do not and will not conflict in whole or in part with any other legal or contractual obligations you are subject to; and

(e) you will at all times comply with all relevant Law in the performance of your obligations under the Agreement.

2.3 What you are agreeing to do

In applying for and receiving the Grant, you are agreeing to:

(a) use the Grant to deliver your chosen Standards to the level you have selected (“Level”), as referenced in your Agreement Document and supplemented by the Scheme Information;

(b) complete the actions that are part of each Standard (the “Actions”) to the Level you have chosen unless the Actions are prohibited on Agreement Land, as explained in the Scheme Information, because:

  (i) it has historic or archaeological features identified on the Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER); or

  (ii) it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

(c) comply with these Terms and Conditions; and

(d) obtain, maintain and comply with any permits, licences, permissions, consents, approvals, certificates and authorisations (whether statutory or otherwise) which are required:

  (i) to comply with the obligations under the Agreement; and

  (ii) for the protection of ancient monuments, archaeological sites, heritage sites, trees, historical sites on the Agreement Land and SSSIs.

2.4 Agreement Period

The Agreement is for a period of three years (the “Agreement Period”) from the date the Agreement commences (the “Agreement Start Date”) until the date it ends (the “Agreement End Date”) unless terminated earlier under condition 15 (Termination of an Agreement) or we approve your Upgrade Request under condition 6 (Changes to your Agreement) and we specify a different Agreement Period which could be for a period of up to or more than three (3) years. The Agreement Start Date and the Agreement End Date are shown in your Agreement Document.

2.5 This Agreement does not replace the need for regulatory consents

You understand that the Agreement does not operate as:

(a) an SSSI consent. If such consent is required you must apply separately in accordance with any instructions provided by Natural England;

(b) a scheduled monument consent of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 (or other consent under an Act). If such consent is required you must apply separately. You will obtain and take account of the SFI HEFER consultation response for all the land and features in connection to this Agreement; or

(c) any other regulatory consent required by the Law.

3. Management Control of the Agreement Land

3.1 What is Management Control

You will have “Management Control” if you have sufficient control over how the Agreement Land is managed to complete the Actions in the Standards at the Level you have chosen. This is explained in the section about Check you and your land are eligible for an SFI standards agreement in the Scheme Rules.

3.2 Management Control for the duration of the Agreement

You must have sufficient Management Control of the land parcels described in the Agreement Document (the “Agreement Land”) for the entire Agreement Period.

3.3 If you lose Management Control

(a) If you lose Management Control of all or part of the Agreement Land before the Agreement End Date you must inform us using the procedure in condition 7 (Change of Circumstances).

(b) If you lose Management Control of all of the Agreement Land, the Agreement will be terminated, and you may have to repay some or all of the Grant already received as set out in condition 7 (Change of Circumstances).

(c) If you lose Management Control of part of the Agreement Land, the affected land will be removed from the Agreement and you may have to repay some or all of the Grant already received as set out in condition 7 (Change of Circumstances).

3.4 Tenanted Land

If you hold land under a Farm Business Tenancy under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 or an Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 tenancy:

(a) you must ensure that by entering the land into the Agreement you do not breach the conditions of your tenancy; and

(b) if the tenancy expires before the Agreement End Date, you must only include this land in your Agreement Land if you expect to have Management Control of this land for the entire Agreement Period.

4. Common Land and Shared Grazing

4.1 What is Common Land and Shared Grazing

The definitions of common land (“Common Land”) and shared grazing (“Shared Grazing”) are explained in the section ‘Eligibility of commons and shared grazing for an SFI standards agreement’ in the Scheme Rules and any reference to Common Land in these Terms and Conditions or the Scheme Rules applies to Shared Grazing.

4.2 What Common Land can be included in the Agreement

You must enter Common Land into a separate Agreement. The section ‘Eligibility of commons and shared grazing for an SFI standards agreement in the Scheme Rules’ explains what you must do if your Agreement Land is Common Land.

4.3 What you must do if your Agreement Land is Common Land

(a) If your Agreement Land is Common Land, you must be a “single entity”, either as a sole beneficiary or a group.

(b) you (the single entity under condition 4.3(a)) must have sufficient Management Control of the Common Land so that you can comply with your obligations under the Agreement for the entire Agreement Period. For a group to have sufficient Management Control you must also:

(i) take reasonable steps to contact and consult everyone with a legal interest in the management of the Common Land; and

(ii) obtain the consent of the owner of the Common Land if it is required

(c) If the single entity is a group, you must:

(i) have a formal, legally enforceable internal arrangement;

(ii) identify a main business contact (the ‘nominated representative’) with us who will be responsible for administering the Agreement on behalf of the group; and

(iii) have a bank account registered with us.

5. Annual Declaration

5.1 What is the Annual Declaration

Your “Annual Declaration” confirms that you have complied, or expect to have complied, with your obligations under the Agreement for the relevant Agreement Year. This is explained in the section ‘Submit an annual declaration to confirm progress of your agreement in the Scheme Rules’.

5.2 When to submit an Annual Declaration

You must submit your Annual Declaration to us each ‘Agreement Year’ (each twelve (12) month period following the Agreement Start Date). You must do this by a date that we will specify (the “Due Date”) which will be within the last two (2) months of the relevant Agreement Year.

5.3 What happens if you do not submit your Annual Declaration

If you do not submit your Annual Declaration by the Due Date, it may affect the Grant paid to you as set out in condition 9 (Payments), and we may also treat this as a breach of your obligations under the Agreement under condition 12.

6. Changes to your Agreement

6.1 How you can upgrade your Agreement

(a) You can request to upgrade your Agreement (an ‘Upgrade Request’) to:

  (i) Add a Standard to the Agreement

  (ii) Move to a higher Level of a Standard already in your Agreement

  (iii) Add land to the Agreement

The section ‘Requesting changes to your agreement’ in the Scheme Rules explains what changes you can request to upgrade the Agreement.

(b) You can submit one Upgrade Request in an Agreement Year. This can only be done in your first and second Agreement Year.

(c) You must submit the Upgrade Request by a date that we will specify in the Scheme Information. We will not accept an Upgrade Request after this date.

(d) Each Upgrade Request can include one or more of the upgrades listed in condition 6.1(a).

6.2 What happens if you request a change to upgrade your Agreement

(a) We will consider your Upgrade Request under condition 6.1 and decide whether to approve it.

(b) We will confirm whether we have approved or rejected your Upgrade Request at the earliest practicable opportunity.

(c) If we approve your Upgrade Request, it will usually apply from the start of the following Agreement Year. We may allow your updated Agreement to continue with its original Agreement Period or we may specify a different Agreement Period.

(d) Where we approve your Upgrade Request, we will ask you to confirm acceptance of your updated Agreement within a time period specified by us. If you do not confirm acceptance within the time period we specify, the Agreement will not be updated.

6.3 Removing Standards, reducing Levels or removing land parcels from the Agreement

(a) During the Agreement Period, we will not usually allow you to remove a Standard, move Agreement Land to a lower Level under the Standards or remove land parcels from the Agreement Land. This is explained in the section ‘Requesting changes to your agreement’ in the Scheme Rules.

(b) If you want to remove a Standard or move to a lower Level under the Standards or remove land parcels forming part of the Agreement Land, you must write to us to request this and explain (providing any supporting evidence) why you wish to do so.

(c) We will consider requests under condition 6.3 on a case-by-case basis and may allow the request if there is a Change of Circumstances as defined in condition 7. We will inform you of our decision within a reasonable time period.

(d) If we approve a request to remove a Standard or move to a lower Level under the Standards or remove land parcels forming part of the Agreement Land, then we may reduce, recover or withhold payment of the Grant in whole or in part until that request has been processed and the Agreement amended accordingly.

6.4 When we may change your Agreement

(a) We will not usually seek to vary your Agreement during the Agreement Period (in a way not referred to elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions).

(b) However, it is possible we may offer you an Agreement upgrade during the Agreement Period. For example, this may be the case if we make changes to these Terms and Conditions or the Standards.

(c) If we offer you an Agreement upgrade under condition 6.4(b), we will notify you in writing setting out the details. It will be possible for you either to accept the Agreement upgrade or continue with your existing Agreement.

(d) There may also be exceptional circumstances (not referred to elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions) where we have to vary your Agreement during the Agreement Period. We will only do this due to exceptional circumstances, such as:

  (i) changes in Law which must be reflected in the Agreement;

  (ii) the need to respond to wider government emergency measures and/or measures imperative to the national interest, for example, disease outbreaks or food security emergencies.

(e) If we vary the Agreement under condition 6.4(d):

  (i) we will notify you in writing and will endeavour to give such notice as is reasonable and proportionate, having regard to the nature of the variation and its consequences for you;

  (ii) any variation to the Agreement will apply from the date we specify in our notice to you; and

  (iii) if the variation to the Agreement under condition 6.4(d) is unacceptable to you, you can terminate your Agreement by notifying us in writing within a reasonable period that we will specify in our notice to you.  Condition 15.3(d) will not apply provided you inform us within the period specified by us.

7. Change of Circumstances

7.1 What is a Change of Circumstances

A “Change of Circumstances” means something happens within or outside your control that might reasonably be expected to affect:

(a) your eligibility for the Grant;

(b) the Grant you should receive;

(c) your ability to complete the Actions in the Standards; or

(d) your ability to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

This is explained in the section ‘What happens if you cannot deliver your agreement, or your circumstances change’ in the Scheme Rules.

7.2 Notifying us of a Change of Circumstances

If condition 7.1 applies, you must notify us in writing as soon as reasonably practicable.

7.3 Action we may take when there is a Change of Circumstances

Where you have notified us about a Change of Circumstances, we may take one of the following actions:

(a) amend, remove or replace a condition subject to which the Grant is given either temporarily or permanently, including by varying the area of Agreement Land;

(b) amend, remove or replace the Standards, Levels or timescales either temporarily or permanently;

(c) reduce the Grant either temporarily or permanently;

(d) require you to repay some or all of the Grant already paid to you;

(e) terminate the Agreement before the Agreement End Date.

7.4 When we will notify you of our decision

We will notify you within a reasonable period of our “Decision” to take any of the actions under condition 7.3 and the reasons for it. At the same time, we will remind you of your rights to request a reconsideration under condition 14.

8. Transfers of Agreement Land

8.1 Transferring Agreement Land to another person or entity

(a) If you sell, lease or otherwise transfer all or part of the Agreement Land to another party or entity (the “Transferee”) during the Agreement Period so that you no longer have Management Control over all or part of the Agreement Land we will not usually allow you to transfer your Agreement to the Transferee.

(b) In the case of 8.1(a) you must notify us of your loss of Management Control of all or part of the Agreement Land (as set out in condition 3.3) using the procedure in condition 7 (Change of Circumstances).

(c) Where you notify us that there has been a Change of Circumstances under condition 8.1(a), we may agree, at our absolute discretion and in limited circumstances only, that you may transfer the Agreement to the Transferee provided the conditions laid out in regulation 12 of the Regulations are met.

9. Payments

9.1 Frequency of payments

The total annual Grant is divided into four (4) quarterly instalments. The first instalment of the Grant will usually be made three (3) months after the Start Date of the Agreement if you have complied with the obligations under the Agreement. This is explained under the section ‘When you will be paid’ in the Scheme Rules.

9.2 Where payments will be made

We will pay the Grant directly to your bank or building society account that is registered with us via BACS transfer, subject to the necessary funds being available when the payment falls due.

9.3 When payments may be delayed, reduced, recovered or withheld

We may delay, reduce, recover or withhold the payment of the Grant in whole or in part if you do not submit the Annual Declaration required under condition 5; and/or you breach your Agreement under condition 12.

9.4 Variation of payment rates

(a) As stated in the Scheme Information we do not expect to vary the Grant during the Agreement Period.

(b) However, we reserve the right, under exceptional circumstances not referred to elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions, to vary the Grant during the Agreement Period, in accordance with condition 6.4.

10. Undue payments or overpayments

10.1 Undue payments or overpayments

It is your responsibility to check all the payments of the Grant we make to you and to notify us within two (2) weeks of you becoming aware if you have any reason to believe an error has occurred. You must repay any overpayment or payment of the Grant to which you are not entitled (including due to our administrative error).

10.2 When a repayment must be made

Any sum that becomes repayable under condition 10.1 will be treated as a debt by you to us and if it is not repaid we may issue a recovery order in respect of it.

11. Checking you are complying with your Agreement

11.1 What we may check

We may check your compliance with the obligations under the Agreement, including that you are:

(a) complying with these Terms and Conditions; and

(b) achieving the aim of each Action in the Standards, by completing the Actions.

11.2 How we will check you are complying with your obligations under the Agreement

We will check you are complying with the obligations under the Agreement through a combination of physical and virtual site visits, remote monitoring, and desk-based administrative checks.  To help us do this, you must:

(a) for virtual or physical site visits:

  (i) allow a person authorised by us to carry out site visits and exercise powers of entry under the Regulations (‘Authorised Person’) access to any Agreement Land, premises, livestock, trees, crops, plants, machinery, equipment, documents or records (or any related apparatus) covered by the Agreement.  The Authorised Person may be accompanied by such other persons as they consider necessary; and

  (ii) provide any assistance reasonably requested by an Authorised Person.

(b) disclose all information or evidence that we may require to verify your continued eligibility for and compliance with the obligations under the Agreement.

The section ‘Checking progress of your SFI standards agreement’ in the Scheme Rules explains how we will check delivery of your obligations under the Agreement.

11.3 How much notice we will give you of a site visit

We will endeavour to agree a suitable date and time for the site visit with you. Where it is not possible to agree a suitable date and time, we will notify you in writing of the purpose of the site visit and the date and time at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the site visit. Regulation 17 of the Regulations allow us to access your land at any reasonable hour without notice if, for example, we have a reasonable suspicion that you have committed a serious breach, fraud or any other related offence.

11.4 What we may do during a site visit

Regulation 18 of the Regulations explains what an Authorised Person can do during a site visit.

12. A breach of your Agreement

12.1 What happens if we suspect there may have been a breach of your Agreement

(a) Where we reasonably suspect you have breached the Agreement, we will carry out a proportionate investigation. We explain what happens if we suspect a breach of the Agreement in the section ‘What happens if there is a suspected breach’ in the Scheme Rules.

(b) If we reasonably suspect you have breached the Agreement, we may withhold the Grant until such investigation is concluded, however we will not usually do this.

(c) We will inform you of the outcome of the investigation carried out under condition 12.1(a) within a reasonable period.

12.2 How you could breach your Agreement

After we carry out a proportionate investigation, we may make a “Determination” that you have breached the Agreement if any of the following applies:

(a) you have not notified us of a Change of Circumstances under condition 7;

(b) you have, at any time, given us false or misleading information;

(c) you have used the Grant for a purpose that is not in accordance with the Agreement;

(d) you have used the Grant for activities that breach any Law with which you are required to comply;

(e) you have failed to comply with the terms of your Agreement;

(f) you have breached any requirement to which you are subject under the Agriculture (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2021;

(g) you have failed to provide information, records or evidence required under condition 20;

(h) you have prevented an Authorised Person from carrying out a virtual or physical site visit of the Agreement Land;

(i) you have refused to provide assistance reasonably requested by an Authorised Person carrying out a virtual or physical site visit of the Agreement Land;

(j) you have otherwise obstructed a virtual or physical site visit of the Agreement Land; or

(k) you have failed to prevent or report actual or anticipated fraud or corruption in relation to the Grant.

12.3 A breach caused by your employees or agents

The circumstances described in condition 12.2(b) to condition 12.2(j) apply, where appropriate, to any action taken by your employees or agents.

12.4 What happens if we determine there has been a breach

If we make a Determination that you have breached the Agreement, we will write to inform you of this within a reasonable period. We will give you the reasons for this Determination. We will then decide what action needs to be taken, if any. We explain what happens if we determine you have breached the Agreement in the section ‘What happens if a breach is confirmed’ in the Scheme Rules. You may respond to any Determination in accordance with condition 14.

12.5 Actions we may take if you breach your Agreement

(a) There are no set actions for particular breaches of the Agreement, and we will assess all the circumstances of a breach in a fair and consistent manner, on a case-by-case basis and take the action(s) we think is/are appropriate. This is explained in the section ‘What action we may take when there is a breach’ in the Scheme Rules.

(b) If we make a Determination that you have breached the Agreement, we may take any of the following actions:

  (i) issue you with a warning letter;

  (ii) amend, remove or replace a condition subject to which the Grant is given either temporarily or permanently;

  (iii) amend, remove or replace the Standards, Levels or timescales either temporarily or permanently;

  (iv) allow you to rectify the breach;

  (v) delay, reduce, recover or withhold payment or require repayment of all or part of the Grant;

  (vi) terminate the Agreement before the Agreement End Date; or

  (vii) prohibit you from receiving financial assistance from other financial assistance schemes under the Agriculture Act 2020 for a period of up to two (2) years from the day after we notify you of the Determination on the breach.

12.6 Repayment if there has been a breach

If we require you to repay all or part of the Grant under condition 12.5, then you must do so within sixty (60) days of the date of our demand for repayment. If you fail to repay the requested amount within sixty (60) days of our demand, then that sum will be recoverable as a civil debt with interest. Our right to recover under condition 12.5 extends to the whole of the Grant paid to you in the Agreement Year or Agreement Years to which the Determination relates under condition 12.2.

13. Good reasons for a breach

13.1 What are good reasons for a breach

We understand that there may be circumstances (a “Good Reason”) where you are in breach of the obligations under the Agreement because of events outside of your control.

(a) Good reasons for a breach of the Agreement include, but are not limited to:

  (i) natural events, such as prolonged adverse weather conditions, flooding, or animal or plant disease

  (ii) if you are seriously ill

  (iii) if you die

  (iv) if there is unforeseen loss of Management Control of the Agreement Land, for example when a tenancy is terminated, or because of the compulsory purchase of land by a third party

  (v) financial circumstances, such as bankruptcy

  (vi) evidenced supply chain problems, such as a lack of soil testing capacity

  (vii) criminal damage by a third party, such as arson or vandalism

(b) We explain what good reasons for a breach could include in the section ‘Good reasons for a breach’ in the Scheme Rules.

13.2 Notifying us about a good reason for a breach

(a) If condition 13.1 applies, you (or any person authorised to act for you) must notify us in writing to explain the Good Reason.

(b) If the Good Reason relates to a breach of the Agreement under condition 12.2(h), condition 12.2(i) or condition 12.2(j), you must notify us in writing immediately.

(c) In all other cases, you must notify us in writing within eight (8) weeks from:

(i) the date you are able to; or

(ii) the date we notify you of the Determination on the breach of the Agreement.

14. Reconsideration of Decisions and Determinations

14.1 How to ask us to reconsider a Decision or Determination

If you would like us to reconsider any Decision (for a Change of Circumstances under condition 7) or Determination (for a breach of the Agreement under condition 12) that we have made, you should use our complaints procedure to ask for it to be reconsidered.

14.2 When to ask us to reconsider a Decision or Determination

You must ask us to reconsider any Decision or Determination within sixty (60) calendar days of the date you are notified about our Decision or Determination.

14.3 How we will reconsider a Decision or Determination

We will consider your request to reconsider our Decision or Determination carefully, including any information or evidence you have provided to us. We will confirm the outcome of our reconsideration, with reasons, in writing within a reasonable period.

14.4. How to appeal the outcome of a reconsideration

You may appeal the outcome of our reconsideration of our Decision or Determination within sixty (60) calendar days of the date you are notified of that outcome where you believe the outcome of our reconsideration:

(a) was based on an error of fact;

(b) was wrong in Law; or

(c) there has been a material procedural error.

14.5 When we will confirm the outcome of your appeal

We will confirm the outcome of your appeal under condition 14.4 within a reasonable period in writing explaining the reasons for this outcome, and this will be our final determination.

15. Termination of an Agreement

15.1 When we may terminate your Agreement

We may terminate the Agreement before the Agreement End Date on written notice to you:

(a) if there has been a Change of Circumstances under condition 7 meaning you are no longer eligible to receive the Grant;

(b) if you have breached the the Agreement under condition 12;

(c) if you have not repaid to us a sum that has become recoverable under condition 12 or condition 10; and

(d) at any time on at least six (6) months’ written notice to you.

15.2 What happens if we terminate your Agreement

(a) Where we terminate the Agreement under condition 15.1(a) or 15.1(b), you may be required to repay some or all of the Grant already paid to you.

(b) Where we terminate the Agreement under condition 15.1(d), you will be able to keep the Grant already paid to you, provided you are not in breach of the Agreement.

15.3 What happens if you want to terminate your Agreement

(a) We will not usually allow you to terminate your Agreement before the Agreement End Date.

(b) If you want to terminate your Agreement before the Agreement End Date, you must write to us to request this and explain (providing supporting evidence) why you wish to do so.

(c) We will consider requests under condition 15.3 on a case-by-case basis and may allow the request if there is a Change of Circumstances (condition 7). We will inform you of our decision within a reasonable time period.

(d) If we agree to terminate your Agreement before the Agreement End Date, you may be required to repay all or part of the Grant for the relevant Agreement Year or Agreement Years, and you will remain bound by the relevant obligations under the Agreement until you make this repayment.

(e) Condition 15.3(d) does not apply to condition 6.4.

15.4 This Agreement will terminate in the event of your death if you have entered this Agreement in your own name as an individual.

16. Consequences of expiry or termination of your Agreement

16.1 If we or you terminate the Agreement, or the Agreement expires on the Agreement End Date, this will not affect the rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities that either of us have accrued up to the point of termination or the Agreement End Date.

16.2 Termination or expiry of the Agreement will not affect our or your continuing rights and obligations under any condition in the Agreement which is intended to continue beyond the Agreement Period.

17. Intellectual property rights

17.1 We don’t anticipate that any new intellectual property rights will be created as part of these arrangements but if any intellectual property rights are created (for example in assessments, plans and data generated in relation to this Agreement) then this will be owned by the party who created it.  We may need to use any intellectual property created by you for the purposes of the Agreement and you hereby grant us a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty free licence to do so for use in connection with the Agreement.

18. Data protection

18.1 We and you must always comply with our respective obligations under “Data Protection Legislation”. We may be required to provide personal information to Defra. We also are required by law to publish certain information about you, this is described in condition 21. Data Protection Legislation means (a) the UK GDPR, (b) the Data Protection Act 2018 to the extent that it relates to processing of personal data and privacy and (c) all applicable Law about the processing of personal data and privacy.

18.2 For information on how we handle personal data search for ‘Rural Payments Agency Personal Information Charter’ and our Privacy Policy on GOV.UK.

19. Freedom of information

19.1 You acknowledge that we are subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (“EIR”).

19.2 We may need to share information we hold about you or the Agreement so we or Defra can comply with any FOIA and EIR request. The extent, content and format of the information we disclose is our decision. In making any disclosure, we will have due regard to Data Protection Legislation.

19.3 You will provide all necessary assistance and cooperation which we or Defra reasonably request for the purposes of complying with our obligations under FOIA and EIR within a time period specified by us. You must tell us as soon as reasonably practicable if you receive a FOIA or EIR request intended for us or Defra.

20. What accounts and records you must keep

20.1 You must keep all invoices, receipts, accounts and any other relevant documents relating directly to the expenditure of the Grant and evidence of your compliance with your obligations under the Agreement (“Records”). The Records include evidence you must keep as explained for each Action in the Standards.

20.2 You must keep your Records for a period of at least seven (7) years from termination of the Agreement or the Agreement End Date.

20.3 You must prepare and keep your Records in compliance with Law and must provide assistance to us when we are auditing or examining these so as to help us carry out our legal obligations.

20.4 We have the right to:

(a) request you to provide your Records to us

(b) review your Records

(c) take copies of such Records.

20.5 You must provide your Records to us upon request. In addition, you shall provide the Records to any other duly authorised public authority (or their authorised representatives or auditors) upon request.

21. What information we may publish about you

21.1 We are required by Law to publish certain specified information about agreement holders who have received relevant Grant payments.

21.2 Condition 21.1 only applies if you have received a total value of relevant payments (as defined in the Regulations) equal to or more than £1,250 in the relevant financial year.

21.3 The specified information shall:

(a) be published on a searchable database on GOV.UK; and

(b) remain on that searchable database for three (3) years from initial publication.

21.4 If condition 21.1 applies to your Grant, we will publish the following specified information:

(a) your full name;

(b) the post town, and post code and district where:

  (i) you are resident, if you are a natural person;

  (ii) your registered office is located, if you are incorporated (for example, a company); or

  (iii) your primary base of business is located, if you are unincorporated (for example, a sole trader).

(c) the total Grant payments received by you in the relevant financial year; and

(d) a description of the activities financed by the Grant payments.

22. Other Terms

22.1 We may transfer the Agreement to another public organisation

We may transfer our rights and obligations to another Government body.  We will tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the Agreement.

22.2 Third party rights under this Agreement

The Agreement is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms, however, the terms of the Agreement and our rights under it may be enforced by Defra.

22.3 If a court finds part of the Agreement illegal, the rest will continue in force

Each of the conditions of these Terms and Conditions operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining conditions will remain in full force and effect.

22.4 Even if we delay in enforcing the Agreement, we can still enforce it later

If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under the Agreement, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of you breaching the Agreement, that will not mean that you do not have to meet your obligations under this Agreement and it will not prevent us taking actions against you, as described in these Terms and Conditions, at a later date.

22.5 Which laws apply to this Agreement and where you may bring legal proceedings

The Agreement is governed by English law and you can only bring legal proceedings in respect of this Agreement in the English courts.

Glossary

The glossary can be found in the standalone version of these terms and conditions.

Updated SFI standards agreement terms and conditions

We’ve published updated Sustainable Farming Incentive standards agreement: Terms and Conditions) on 1 June 2023. You’ll accept these when you submit your annual declaration towards the end of your agreement’s first year. Until then, the SFI standards agreement terms and conditions in section 10 of this scheme information will continue to apply to your SFI standards agreement.

11. The SFI arable and horticultural soils standard

This covers what you need to know to complete the actions in the arable and horticultural soils standard of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

You only have to meet a requirement in this standard if the word ‘must’ is used. In this case, it’s part of your SFI standards agreement. The other information is to help you, but you do not have to follow it.

You can understand what you’re agreeing to do by reading this information on the arable and horticultural soils standard, together with your SFI standards agreement document and its terms and conditions.

How the arable and horticultural soils standard will improve the environment

As soils are one of the most important natural assets, the arable and horticultural soils standard is focused on improving soil health, structure, organic matter, and biology. These improvements can benefit food production. They also contribute to a range of environmental and climate change outcomes, including better:

• water quality

• climate resilience

• biodiversity

Eligible land for the arable and horticultural soils standard

You can only enter land into the arable and horticultural soils standard that:

• has an eligible ‘land cover’

• is an eligible ‘land type’

Land cover

Each land parcel has one or more registered land covers. These identify what broad category the land is.

You can view the land cover currently registered for each land parcel on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service.

The eligible land covers for the arable and horticultural soils standard are:

• Arable Land

• Permanent Crops (only perennial crops)

• Other (non-agricultural) – Drain/Ditch/Dyke on a boundary

• Other (non-agricultural) – Track – natural surface

If a land parcel has one or more of these eligible land covers, it will show as ‘available area’ in your SFI application. When you select this land parcel, its total available area is included in your SFI application. You cannot reduce it in your application.

For more information about how the available area is automatically calculated, read the guidance about how to apply online for an SFI standards agreement on land outside a common.

A land parcel’s available area is only eligible for this standard if it is also an eligible land type.

Land type

The land type describes the detailed use of a land parcel’s broad category of land cover.

You can enter a land parcel into the arable and horticultural soils standard if its land type is cultivated arable land. This includes land used for horticultural crops, such as field vegetables, and temporary grassland. If there are drains, ditches, dykes or tracks with a natural surface in an otherwise cultivated arable land parcel, those can be viewed as part of that land parcel’s eligible land type area.

Temporary grassland is land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage for less than 5 consecutive years. You can choose to view this as either:

• arable land and enter it into the arable and horticultural soils standard

• improved grassland and enter it into the improved grassland soils standard

Land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage for 5 consecutive years or more becomes classified as permanent grassland from the 6th year if it’s not been included in a crop rotation.

If you enter temporary grassland into this standard that becomes permanent grassland during your 3-year SFI standards agreement, it won’t be eligible for this standard unless it’s included in your arable crop rotation. In this case, you can enter the temporary grassland into this standard. We may contact you during your 3-year SFI standards agreement to confirm that the grassland is part of your arable crop rotation.

Temporary and permanent improved grassland is eligible for the improved grassland soils standard.

11.1 Other land eligibility issues to consider

You should also consider the following land eligibility issues.

Land in another agri-environment scheme agreement

Land in an existing agri-environment scheme agreement, such as Countryside Stewardship, may also be eligible for an SFI standards agreement. Read the interaction between SFI and other schemes for more information.

Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

To request an SFI HEFER, you need to register on the HEFER portal. Once registered, you can request an SFI HEFER by entering your Single Business Identifier (SBI). You will then be sent an email when the SFI HEFER is available for you to download.

Before you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, read more about:

• scheduled monuments, as you may need consent from Historic England

• works in a conservation area that may need consent from your local planning authority

To find out about soil sampling on scheduled monuments, historic or archaeological features, read the information about regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

Sites of special scientific interest

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory and intermediate levels of the arable and horticultural soils standard.

However, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations requiring Natural England consent on the SSSI land to meet the actions in the introductory or intermediate levels under the arable and horticultural soils standard.

If consent is required, you may want to get this from Natural England before you enter the land into an SFI standards agreement, to make sure you can complete the actions required under the arable and horticultural soils standard once your SFI standards agreement starts.

You can find the listed operations requiring Natural England consent on your SSSI land by searching for the SSSI on the designated sites system. You can also find more information about getting consent to carry out operations on SSSI land on GOV.UK.

For more information, read check regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

Peaty soil

Land with ‘peaty soil’ is eligible for this standard. Peaty soil means there is around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more.

You should not complete action 3 (add organic matter) on land with peaty soil, as explained later in this section. You’ll still be paid for this area even if you do not complete action 3. This is a temporary measure until specific measures on the sustainable management of peaty soils become available.

Organically farmed land

To ensure value for public money, we expect that organically farmed land will be entered into the intermediate level of this standard.

11.2 How the arable and horticultural soils standard works

The arable and horticultural soils standard has a set of aims. You achieve these aims by completing the land management actions for this standard. The details of the actions explain what you need to do, when to do it and each action’s aim.

If you enter a land parcel into the arable and horticultural soils standard, it cannot be selected for the other 2 standards available in 2022. In future, some standards will be compatible with each other, and you’ll be able to have a land parcel in more than one standard where this is the case.

Different levels

The actions are grouped into two levels:

• introductory

• intermediate

Most of the actions are the same in both levels. There is an additional action in the intermediate level.

You can select different levels for different land parcels entered into this standard. For example, you can enter one land parcel into the introductory level and another land parcel into the intermediate level.

An advanced level is likely to be available from 2023 and may include use of no tillage techniques. You’ll be able to upgrade your SFI standards agreement annually to increase levels for existing standards in your agreement.

Payment

The total annual payment you receive depends on the number of hectares (ha) of eligible land you enter into each level.

Level	Total annual payment
Introductory	£22 per ha
Intermediate	£40 per ha

This means if you enter:

• 20 ha into the introductory level, your total annual payment is based on 20 ha x £22 per ha.

• 20 ha of land into the intermediate level, your total annual payment is based on 20 ha x £40 per ha.

You are paid for all the eligible hectares entered into the standard, even if the action only has to be completed on a percentage area of that land.

Read more information about payments.

When to complete the actions

Once your SFI standards agreement starts, you should complete the actions in this standard. This is explained in the details of the actions under ‘When to do it’.

If your agreement starts too late for you to complete an action, for example, establishing winter cover by the start of December, you can complete it within 12 months of your agreement start date.

Checking the progress of your SFI standards agreement

If we check the progress of your agreement, you’ll only be asked for evidence of what you’ve done to complete the action if it’s not clear that the aim has been achieved. The details of each action explain what evidence to keep.

Read the information on checking progress of your SFI standards agreement.

11.3 Summary of the actions

The introductory level actions are:

• action 1: complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

• action 2: test soil organic matter

• action 3: add organic matter to all land in the standard at least once during the 3-year SFI standards agreement

• action 4: have green cover on at least 70% of land in the standard over winter

The intermediate level actions are:

• action 1: complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

• action 2: test soil organic matter

• action 3: add organic matter to all land in the standard at least once during the 3-year SFI standards agreement

• action 4: have green cover on at least 50% of land in this level of the standard over winter and multi-species cover crops on an additional 20% of the land

11.4 Details of the actions

This section gives details of the actions in the arable and horticultural soils standard.

11.5 Action 1: Complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim, which is for you to have both:

• assessed the soil for all the land entered into the standard

• produced a written soil management plan

This will help you to plan how to increase the long-term health and productivity of your soil.

What to do

You must complete an assessment of your soil and produce a written soil management plan covering all the land parcels entered into this standard.

If you already have a written soil management plan informed by a soil assessment, you can use it to meet this action.

To help us improve national data on the condition of England’s soils, you’ll need to provide some information when we ask you for it as part of the soils strategy once it’s launched. This will include:

• basic information from your soil assessment

• the soil organic matter test results under action 2

This data is one of the public goods that the standard is paying for and part of wider government measures in relation to our future soils strategy.

We’ll publish guidance on GOV.UK about what basic information is needed and how to supply it to us.

When to do it

You must complete the soil assessment and produce the written soil management plan within the first 12 months of your SFI standards agreement. You must review the soil management plan each year of your agreement, adding any new soil analysis you undertake.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action. You can record the soil management plan on paper or digitally.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance on how to assess your soils and produce a soil management plan, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a record of your soil management plan, including your soil assessment. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

11.6 Action 2: Test soil organic matter

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is that you have tested the SOM on all the land parcels in your SFI standards agreement within the last 5 years.

This will enable you to plan how to increase the long-term health and productivity of your soil.

What to do

You must make sure the soil for all the land parcels entered into this standard has been tested for soil organic matter (SOM) within the last 5 years.

You can use existing SOM test results to meet this action, but they cannot be more than 5 years old.

When to do it

During your 3-year SFI standards agreement, you must make sure that each land parcel entered into this standard has been tested for SOM within the last 5 years.

If your existing SOM test results reach 5 years old, you must retest that land parcel.

If you have not tested some or all of the land parcels entered into this standard for SOM within the last 5 years, you should try to do this during the first year of your SFI standards agreement.

If this timing is not possible because the laboratory that does your SOM tests does not have capacity, you must make sure that:

• the tests for these land parcels are done as soon as possible

• all of these land parcels have been tested for SOM within the last 5 years by the end of your 3-year SFI standards agreement

• you keep evidence of the situation so you can provide this evidence if we ask for it

You may choose to carry out this action at the same time as your other routine soil testing required in the Farming Rules for Water.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action. You may find it helpful to read the guidance on how to sample and test soil organic matter, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a record of the SOM test results. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

11.7 Action 3: Add organic matter

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is to add organic matter to the soil of all the land parcels entered into the standard at least once during your 3-year SFI standards agreement.

This will benefit the long-term productivity of your soil, and also brings benefits for soil biodiversity and carbon storage.

What to do

You must add organic matter to the soil of all the land parcels entered into this standard to improve soil health. This can be any kind of organic matter.

For the introductory level, this can include sown green cover crops established for action 4 (winter cover).

For the intermediate level, this can include multi-species green cover established for action 4 (winter cover).

If your land has ‘peaty soil’, you should not complete this action on that land because adding organic matter can speed up peat decomposition. Peaty soil means there is around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more.

You may already know if there is peaty soil on your land. If you do not know, the SOM test results from completing action 2 will tell you. You’ll still be paid for this area in this standard, even if you cannot complete the action.

When to do it

You must do this on every land parcel entered into this standard at least once during your 3-year SFI standards agreement. This could be done as part of your crop rotation.

By the end of your 3-year SFI standards agreement, you must have added organic matter to the soil of all the land parcels entered into this standard.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance on how to add organic matter, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You should keep photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve achieved the aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

11.8 Action 4: Winter cover

The action’s aim

For both the introductory and intermediate levels, the aim is that there is a well-established winter cover across at least 70% of the land entered into the standard each year. This is to help protect the soil surface and provide root growth that maintains soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff.

The multi-species cover crop element of the intermediate level has the additional aim of providing winter cover with a more diverse range of plants involving 2 or more species, on at least 20% of the land entered into this level of the standard. This is to benefit soil structure and health more than would be achieved with a single species.

What to do

For the introductory level, over winter you must have a well-established green cover on at least 70% of the land entered into this level of the standard.

Green cover is any crop or vegetation that covers bare soil to protect it over the winter. This could include:

• autumn-sown crops such as winter cereals, linseed and oilseed rape

• a quick-growing cover crop

• leaving weedy stubbles that give sufficient cover to protect the soil

For the intermediate level, over winter you must have well-established:

• green cover on at least 50% of the land entered into this level of the standard

• multi-species cover crops on at least an additional 20% of the land entered into this level of the standard

Multi-species cover crops are a sown mix of plant species grown together on the same area of land to protect the soil and improve its health.

As a minimum, the multi-species cover crops must include a mix of at least two species from one or more of these plant families:

• brassica

• legume

• grass or cereal

• herbs

You can choose any mix that works for your farm. Choosing a varied mix (with multiple species from different plant families and with different characteristics) will normally bring greater benefits to your soil and make it easier to show you’ve met the aim of this action.

A well-established green cover is where there is leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown to protect the soil, from the start of December. There should be minimal bare soil. If this is not possible, for example due to prolonged adverse weather, you must let us know. Read the information about checking progress of your SFI standards agreement.

For both introductory and intermediate levels, you must not leave any land bare over winter if it is at high risk of erosion or runoff.

You can use existing areas of multi-species cover crops and temporary grassland for this action.

You can also use areas of green cover or multi-species cover crops on your:

• 2-metre or 1-metre cross compliance buffers required under GAEC 1

• 2-metre cross compliance green cover requirement under GAEC 7a

You can graze the winter cover, but it still needs to be well-established over winter.

The green cover and multi-species cover crops under this action can also be used to meet action 3 (add soil organic matter). If you do this, it must meet the aim of action 3.

When to do it

Each year of your SFI standards agreement, you must have a well-established green cover (and multi-species cover crops at intermediate level) by the start of December.

You must keep the green cover (and multi-species cover crops) until the end of February. After this, you can destroy the winter cover if you choose, being careful to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.

Where conditions allow, you may destroy the winter cover before the end of February to establish an early-sown spring crop. You must not do this more than 6 weeks before you establish that spring crop.

How to do it

You may find it helpful to read the guidance on how to establish green cover, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You should keep photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve achieved the aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

12. The SFI improved grassland soils standard

This covers what you need to know to complete the actions in the improved grassland soils standard of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

You only have to meet a requirement in this standard if the word ‘must’ is used. In this case, it’s part of your SFI standards agreement. The other information is to help you, but you do not have to follow it.

You can understand what you’re agreeing to do by reading this information on the improved grassland soils standard, together with your SFI standards agreement document and its terms and conditions.

12.1 How the improved grassland soils standard will improve the environment

As soils are one of the most important natural assets, the improved grassland soils standard is focused on improving soil health, structure, organic matter, and biology. These improvements can benefit food production. They also contribute to a range of environmental and climate change outcomes, including better:

• water quality

• climate resilience

• biodiversity

12.2 Eligible land for the improved grassland soils standard

You can only enter land into the improved grassland soils standard that:

• has an eligible ‘land cover’

• is an eligible ‘land type’

Land cover

Each land parcel has one or more registered land covers. These identify what broad category the land is.

You can view the land cover currently registered for each land parcel on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service. Read more information about land cover and checking your digital maps before you apply for SFI.

The eligible land covers for the improved grassland soils standard are:

• Arable Land (only if its land type is improved temporary grassland)

• Permanent Grassland (only if its land type is improved permanent grassland)

• Other (non-agricultural) – Drain/Ditch/Dyke on a boundary

• Other (non-agricultural) – Track – natural surface

If a land parcel has one or more of these eligible land covers, it will show as ‘available area’ in your SFI application. When you select this land parcel, its total available area is included in your SFI application. You cannot reduce it in your application.

For more information about how the available area is automatically calculated, read the guidance about how to apply online for an SFI standards agreement on land outside a common.

A land parcel’s available area is only eligible for this standard if it is also an eligible land type.

Land type

The land type describes the detailed use of a land parcel’s broad category of land cover.

You can enter a land parcel into the improved grassland soils standard if its land type is improved grassland. This includes both permanent and temporary grassland, as long as it’s improved grassland. If there are drains, ditches, dykes or tracks with a natural surface in an otherwise improved grassland parcel, those can be viewed as part of that land parcel’s eligible land type area.

To qualify as improved grassland, the land will have been managed in some or all of the following ways:

• regular re-seeding, or has been reseeded within the last 15 years

• regular fertilising with typically at least 100 kg per ha of nitrogen as an artificial compound fertiliser or animal manures and slurries

• boom spraying herbicide to treat weeds

• active, well-maintained field drains

• taking any conserved forage as silage, haylage or hay, usually more than once a year

Improved grassland will usually have a high coverage of ryegrass and white clover.

Permanent grassland is land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage, which has not been included in the crop rotation for 5 or more consecutive years. It may have been reseeded during that time.

Temporary grassland is land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage for less than 5 consecutive years. You can enter this into either:

• the improved grassland soils standard, if it’s improved grassland

• the arable and horticultural soils standard

Unimproved grassland is not eligible for this standard. Unimproved grassland means land that has not been cultivated within the last 15 years. For example, it will not have been cultivated during this 15-year period by:

• sowing or reseeding

• ploughing, or an activity that breaks the soil surface or disrupts the subsoil

• adding artificial fertiliser or soil improvers

This unimproved grassland may be eligible for Countryside Stewardship (CS) grassland options. A low and no input grassland standard should be available in SFI from 2024.

Unimproved grassland will usually have a diverse sward made up of a range of grasses and wildflowers.

If you have recently created a species rich sward, for example, under a CS agreement, you cannot enter that area into this standard. Read the interaction between SFI and other schemes for more information.

In your SFI application, you’ll be shown the total available area for each land parcel, based on the land covers that are eligible for the improved grassland soils standard. This total available area must be improved grassland. If it is not, you must not select that land parcel in your SFI application, as you cannot reduce the available area in your SFI application.

For example, you must not select a land parcel if its total available area is:

• 10 ha based on its Permanent Grassland land cover, but only 8 ha is improved permanent grassland

• 10 ha based on its Arable land cover, but only 5 ha is improved temporary grassland

12.3 Other land eligibility issues to consider

You should also consider the following land eligibility issues.

Land in another agri-environment scheme agreement

Land in an existing agri-environment scheme agreement, such as CS, may also be eligible for an SFI standards agreement. Read the interaction between SFI and other schemes for more information.

Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

You must not complete action 4 (establish and maintain herbal leys) in the improved grassland soils standard on any area with historic or archaeological features identified on your SFI HEFER. You’ll still be paid for this area entered into the standard.

To request an SFI HEFER, you need to register on the HEFER portal. Once registered, you can request an SFI HEFER by entering your Single Business Identifier (SBI). You will then be sent an email when the SFI HEFER is available for you to download.

Before you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, read more about:

• scheduled monuments, as you may need consent from Historic England

• works in a conservation area, which may need consent from your local planning authority

To find out about soil sampling on scheduled monuments, historic or archaeological features, read the information about regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory and intermediate levels of the improved grassland soils standard. However, you must not complete action 4 (establish and maintain herbal leys) on SSSI land.

While it is unlikely that the other actions under the introductory and intermediate levels of the improved grassland soils standard will be listed operations requiring Natural England consent, it is your responsibility to check.

If you intend to complete the other actions by carrying out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations on the SSSI land.

You can find the listed operations requiring Natural England consent on your SSSI land by searching for the SSSI on the designated sites system. You can also find more information about getting consent to carry out operations on SSSI land on GOV.UK.

For more information, read check regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

Peaty soil

Land with ‘peaty soil’ is eligible for this standard. Peaty soil means there is around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more.

You should not complete action 4 (establish and maintain herbal leys) of this standard on land with peaty soil as explained below. You’ll still be paid for this area, even if you do not complete action 4. This is a temporary measure until specific measures on the sustainable management of peaty soils become available.

Organically farmed land

To ensure value for public money, we expect that organically farmed land will be entered into the intermediate level of this standard.

12.4 How the improved grassland soils standard works

The improved grassland soils standard has a set of aims. You achieve these aims by completing the land management actions for this standard. The details of the actions explain what you need to do, when to do it and each action’s aim.

If you enter a land parcel into the improved grassland soils standard, it cannot be selected for the other 2 standards available in 2022. In future, some standards will be compatible with each other, and you’ll be able to have a land parcel in more than one standard, where this is the case.

Different levels

The actions are grouped into two levels:

• introductory

• intermediate

Most of the actions are the same in both levels. There’s one additional action in the intermediate level.

You can select different levels for different land parcels entered into this standard. For example, you can enter one land parcel into the introductory level and another land parcel into the intermediate level.

An advanced level is likely to be available from 2023 onwards. You’ll be able to upgrade your SFI standards agreement annually to increase levels for existing standards in your agreement.

Payment

The total annual payment you receive depends on the number of hectares (ha) of eligible land you enter into each level.

Level	Total annual payment
Introductory	£28 per ha
Intermediate	£58 per ha

This means if you enter:

• 20 ha into the introductory level, your total annual payment is based on 20 ha x £28 per ha.

• 20 ha into the intermediate level, your total annual payment is based on 20 ha x £58 per ha.

You are paid for all the eligible hectares entered into the standard, even if the action only has to be completed on a percentage area of that land.

Read more information about SFI payments.

When to complete the actions

Once your SFI standards agreement starts, you should complete the actions in this standard. This is explained in the details of the actions under ‘When to do it’.

If your agreement starts too late for you to complete an action, you can complete it within 12 months of your agreement start date.

Checking progress of your SFI standards agreement

If we check progress of your SFI standards agreement, you’ll only be asked for evidence of what you’ve done to complete the action if it’s not clear that the aim has been achieved. The details of each action explain what evidence to keep.

Read the information on checking the progress of your SFI standards agreement.

12.5 Summary of the actions

The introductory level actions are:

• action 1: complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan 

• action 2: test soil organic matter

• action 3: minimise bare ground by having no more than 5% of the total area of land entered into the standard left bare over winter

The intermediate level actions are:

• action 1: complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

• action 2: test soil organic matter

• action 3: minimise bare ground by having no more than 5% of the total area of land entered into the standard left bare over winter

• action 4: establish and maintain herbal leys on at least 15% of land in this level of the standard

12.6 Details of the actions

This section gives details of the actions in the improved grassland soils standard.

12.7 Action 1: Complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim, which is for you to have:

• assessed the soil for all the land entered into this standard

• produced a written soil management plan for that land

This will help you to plan how to increase the long-term health and productivity of your soil.

What to do

You must complete an assessment of your soil and produce a written soil management plan covering all the land parcels entered into this standard.

If you already have a written soil management plan informed by a soil assessment, you can use it to meet this action.

To help us improve national data on the condition of England’s soils, you’ll need to provide some information when we ask you for it as part of the soils strategy once it’s launched. This will include:

• basic information from your soil assessment

• the soil organic matter test results under action 2

This data is one of the public goods that the standard is paying for and part of wider government measures in relation to our future soils strategy.

We’ll publish guidance on GOV.UK about what basic information is needed and how to supply it to us.

When to do it

You must complete the soil assessment and produce the written soil management plan within the first 12 months of your SFI standards agreement. You must review the soil management plan each year of your agreement, adding any new soil analysis you do.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action. You can record the soil management plan on paper or digitally.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to assess your soils and produce a soil management plan, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a record of your soil management plan, including your soil assessment. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

12.8 Action 2: Test soil organic matter

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is that you have tested the SOM on all the land parcels entered into this standard within the last 5 years.

This will help you to plan how to increase the long-term health and productivity of your soil.

What to do

You must make sure the soil for all the land parcels entered into this standard have been tested for soil organic matter (SOM) within the last 5 years.

You can use existing SOM test results to meet this action, but they cannot be more than 5 years old.

When to do it

During your 3-year SFI standards agreement, you must make sure that each land parcel entered into this standard has been tested for SOM within the last 5 years.

If your existing SOM test results reach 5 years old, you must retest that land parcel.

If you have not tested some or all of the land parcels entered into this standard for SOM within the last 5 years, you should try to do this during the first year of your SFI standards agreement.

If this timing is not possible because the laboratory that does your SOM tests does not have capacity, you must make sure that:

• the tests for these land parcels are done as soon as possible

• all of these land parcels have been tested for SOM within the last 5 years by the end of your 3-year SFI standards agreement

• you keep evidence of the situation so you can provide this evidence if we ask for it

You may choose to carry out this action at the same time as your other routine soil testing required in the Farming Rules for Water.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action. You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to sample and test soil organic matter, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a record of the SOM test results. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

12.9 Action 3: Minimise bare ground over winter

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is that there’s minimal bare ground across all of the land entered into this standard over winter.

This will help to protect the soil surface. It will also provide root growth that maintains soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff.

What to do

You must make sure that no more than 5% of the total area of land entered into the standard is left bare, or becomes bare, over winter.

Bare land is any area of land where the soil is not covered by vegetation and is directly exposed to the elements.

You must not leave any land bare over winter if it’s at high risk of erosion or run-off.

When to do it

Each year of your SFI standards agreement, you must have no more than 5% of the land entered into this standard as bare ground from the start of December until the end of February.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to avoid bare ground, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You should keep photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve achieved the aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

12.10 Action 4: Establish and maintain herbal leys

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is that there is a sward with a mix of grasses, legumes and herbs on at least 15% of the land entered into this standard.

This will provide varied root structures to improve and maintain the soil’s structure, carbon, biology and fertility.

What to do

For the intermediate level only, you must establish and maintain herbal leys with a mixture of grasses, legumes, and herbs on at least 15% of the land entered into this level of the standard. You can maintain an existing herbal ley to meet this.

For this action, you can also use herbal leys located on your:

• 2-metre or 1-metre cross compliance buffers required under GAEC 1

• 2-metre cross compliance green cover requirement under GAEC 7a

You can do this on a single area of land for the duration of your 3-year SFI standards agreement. Alternatively, you can move the area used for the herbal leys around the land parcels entered into this standard each year.

You must not establish herbal leys on any area of land that:

• is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)

• contains historic or archaeological features, as identified on your SFI HEFER

You can still enter such land into the intermediate level of this standard, but only if you can establish the required herbal leys on other land that is not an SSSI and does not contain historic or archaeological features. In this case, you’ll still be paid for all the eligible hectares entered into the intermediate level of this standard, even though you cannot complete the action on this specific land.

You should not complete this action on any area of ‘peaty soil’. Peaty soil means there’s around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more. You may already know if there is peaty soil on your land. If you do not know, the SOM test results from completing action 2 will tell you. You’ll still be paid for this area, even though you cannot complete the action on it. This is a temporary measure until specific measures on the sustainable management of peaty soils become available.

When to do it

You must establish the herbal ley in the first 12 months of your SFI standards agreement. If you’ve already established a herbal ley, you can maintain it to meet this action.

You must maintain the herbal ley on at least 15% of the land entered into this level of the standard for the 3-year duration of your SFI standards agreement.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to establish and maintain herbal leys, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You should keep photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve achieved the aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

13. The SFI moorland standard

This covers what you need to know to complete the actions in the moorland standard.

You only have to meet a requirement in this standard if the word ‘must’ is used. In this case, it’s part of your Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement. The rest of the information is to help you, but you do not have to follow it.

You can understand what you’re agreeing to do by reading this information on the moorland standard, together with your SFI standards agreement document and its terms and conditions.

13.1 How the moorland standard will improve the environment

Moorland soils and habitats provide a range of benefits to the public (public goods). These include:

• carbon storage, to offset the effects of climate change

• water storage and flow, to reduce the effects of flooding and drought

• biodiversity, to protect plants and wildlife

• heritage, to protect historic and archaeological features

The introductory level of the moorland standard is focused on assessing moorland to identify:

• which of these benefits the moorland already provides

• opportunities to maintain or enhance these benefits

13.2 Eligible land for the moorland standard

You can only enter land into the moorland standard that:

• has an eligible ‘land cover’

• is an eligible ‘land type’

Land cover

Each land parcel has one or more registered land covers. These identify what broad category the land is.

Common land is not shown on your digital maps. You can check the maps we have previously provided to you to check the land cover on the common land. When you apply for SFI on common land, you will be able to view the land parcels on a digital map as part of the application process. Before applications open, we’ll publish information on GOV.UK to help you apply on common land.

Read the table below for information about eligible land covers and land types for the SFI standards:

Standard	Eligible land covers	Eligible land type
Arable and horticultural soils	Arable Land	Cultivated arable land
	Permanent Crops (only perennial crops)
	Other (non-agricultural) – Drain/Ditch/Dyke on a boundary
	Other (non-agricultural) – Track – natural surface
Improved grassland soils	Arable Land (temporary grassland)	Improved permanent or temporary grassland
	Permanent Grassland
	Other (non-agricultural) – Drain/Ditch/Dyke on a boundary
	Other (non-agricultural) – Track – natural surface
Moorland	Permanent Grassland	Land located above the moorland line
	Other (non-agricultural)
	Drain/ditch/dyke
	Pond
	Scree
	Boulders
	Rocky outcrop
	Heaps
	Notional – rock
	Notional – bracken
	Notional – scrub
	Notional – trees
	Notional – water
	Notional – natural
	Notional – mixed
	Non-agricultural area
	Scrub – ungrazeable
	River/Stream on a boundary
	Rivers and Streams type 2
	Rivers and Streams type 3
	Drain/Ditch/Dyke on a boundary
	Shingle
	Fen marsh & swamp
	Bog
	Gallop
	Track – natural surface
	Heath land and bracken – ungrazeable
	Non-utilised Bank
	Archaeological site
	Uncropped

If a land parcel has one or more of the land covers that are eligible for this standard, it will show as ‘available area’ in your SFI application. When you select this land parcel, its total available area is included in your SFI application. You cannot reduce it in your application. A land parcel’s available area is only eligible for this standard if it is also an eligible land type.

Land type

The land type describes the detailed use of a land parcel’s broad category of land cover.

You can enter a land parcel into this standard if its land type is moorland. This means it’s located above the moorland line.

You can check MAGIC to find out if your land is above the moorland line.

The vegetation of these moorland areas will usually be:

• semi-natural moorland habitats including heathland, blanket bog, rough acid grasslands, rushy flushes, swamps, mires and bracken

• upland calcareous grassland

If a land parcel is on both sides of the moorland line:

• where the majority of the land parcel’s area is above the moorland line, you can enter the total area of that land parcel into the moorland standard

• where the majority of the land parcel’s area is below the moorland line, the whole of that land parcel is not eligible for the moorland standard, but may be eligible for the arable and horticultural soils standard or improved grassland soils standards

There are some areas of land located above the moorland line that you cannot enter into this standard. This includes:

• arable land

• farmyards

• permanent crops

• areas used for turf or peat production

A lot of upland moorland is either:

• registered common land, with land owned by one of more parties and rights held by multiple commoners

• shared grazing where graziers have a legal right to graze but the land is not registered as common land

Read more about the eligibility requirements for common land and shared grazing.

13.3 Other land eligibility schemes to consider

You should also consider the following land eligibility issues.

Other schemes and funding sources

Land is eligible for this standard if it’s receiving Farming in Protected Landscapes (FIPL) funding or it’s in an existing scheme such as:

• Countryside Stewardship (CS)

• Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)

This is because the introductory level of this standard only includes actions not already paid for under FIPL, CS or HLS.

Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

To request an SFI HEFER, you need to register on the HEFER portal. The SFI HEFER will be available when applications open. Once registered, you can request an SFI HEFER by entering your Single Business Identifier (SBI). You’ll then be sent an email when the SFI HEFER is available for you to download.

Before you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, read more about:

• scheduled monuments, as you may need consent from Historic England

• works in a conservation area which may need consent from your local planning authority

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory level of the moorland standard.

While it is unlikely that the actions under the introductory level of the moorland standard will be listed operations requiring Natural England consent, it is your responsibility to check. If you intend to complete the actions by carrying out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations on the SSSI land.

You can find the listed operations requiring Natural England consent on your SSSI land by searching for the SSSI on the designated sites system (DSS). You can also find more information about getting consent to carry out operations on SSSI land on GOV.UK.

For more information, read check regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

13.4 How the moorland standard works

The moorland standard has a set of aims. You achieve these aims by completing the land actions for this standard. The details of the actions explain what you need to do, when to do it and each action’s aim.

If you enter a land parcel into the moorland standard, it cannot be selected for the other of the 2 standards available in 2022. In future, some standards will be compatible with each other, and you’ll be able to have a land parcel in more than one standard where this is the case.

Different levels

The moorland standard only has an introductory level. This level is focused on actions not already in CS or HLS, with actions to assess the moorland and produce plans. CS and HLS will continue to fund physical actions. This means you can combine SFI, CS and HLS to provide an income source.

The introductory level of this standard will work alongside other schemes until 2024. There are a range of options available in CS for moorland areas, as well as other funding sources, such as Farming in Protected Landscapes.

Intermediate and advanced levels of this standard will be added in future. You’ll be able to upgrade your SFI standards agreement annually to increase levels for existing standards in your agreement.

Payments

The total annual payment you receive depends on the number of hectares (ha) of eligible land you enter into each level.

Level	Total annual payment
Introductory	£10.30 per ha
Additional moorland payment	£265 per agreement

You are paid for all the eligible hectares entered into the standard.

Read more information about payments.

When to complete the actions

Once your SFI standards agreement starts, you should complete the actions in this standard, as explained in the details of the actions under ‘When to do it’.

Checking progress of your SFI standards agreement

If we check progress of your SFI standards agreement, you’ll only be asked for evidence of what you’ve done to complete the action if it’s not clear that the aim has been achieved. The details of each action explain what evidence to keep.

Read the information on checking progress of your SFI standards agreement.

13.5 Summary of the actions

• action 1: identify and record the soil and vegetation types and condition, and presence of historic and archaeological features

• action 2: assess the public goods the moorland is already providing

• action 3: identify opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods provided by the moorland

13.6 Details of the actions

This section gives details of the actions in the moorland standard.

13.7 Action 1: Survey the soil, vegetation, historic and archaeological features

The action’s aim

You must achieve the action’s aim. The aim is for you to have recorded, across the moorland entered into this standard:

• the soil types and their condition

• the vegetation types and their condition

• the presence of historic and archaeological features

This will help you assess how your moorland contributes to providing public goods and identify opportunities to maintain and enhance them.

What to do

You must carry out a survey to identify, assess and record the soil, vegetation and historic and archaeological features across the moorland area entered into this standard.

To do this, you must divide the moorland area into blocks of around 10 ha and select a sample point within each block that:

• is broadly representative of the main vegetation and soil types of the block

• can be accessed and surveyed safely

For each sample point, you must identify, assess and record:

• soil types and condition, including the depth and wetness of any peat

• vegetation types and condition, including their height and structure

• the extent of bare ground

You must also record the presence of historic and archaeological features. These will be identified on the SFI HEFER you request before you apply for SFI.

If you’ve previously done a survey of your moorland, you cannot use this survey to meet this action. However, you can use surveys and data produced by other organisations. For example, this could include Ordnance Survey maps and soil survey data.

When to do it

In the first year of your SFI standards agreement you must identify, assess and record the required information for one sample in each 10 ha block, across all the land entered into this standard.

In each subsequent year of your agreement, you must repeat this survey at a different sample point within each 10 ha block. Try to do this at about the same time each year.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action, but the survey must sample blocks of around 10 ha and record the information explained in ‘What to do’.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to survey your moorland, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a record of your survey. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

13.8 Action 2: Identify public goods the moorland provides

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is for you to have assessed and recorded how the moorland entered into this standard is already providing public goods.

What to do

You must use the information you’ve collected for action 1 to identify and record public goods your moorland is providing. These public goods include:

• carbon storage

• water storage and flow

• biodiversity

• heritage

When to do it

You must use the survey of your moorland for action 1 to identify and record the public goods it provides. You must do this in the first year of your SFI standards agreement.

In subsequent years of your agreement, you must review this record and update it where required, based on further surveys completed for action 1.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance on how to identify the public goods your moorland provides, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a written record of the public goods you’ve identified as already being provided by the moorland. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

13.9 Action 3: Identify opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods your moorland provides

The action’s aim

You must achieve this action’s aim. The aim is for you to have identified and recorded the opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods provided by the moorland entered into this standard.

What to do

You must use the information collected for actions 1 and 2 to identify and record opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods your moorland provides.

When to do it

In the first year of your SFI standards agreement, you must use the information collected for actions 1 and 2 to produce a record of opportunities to maintain and enhance the public goods your moorland provides.

In subsequent years of your agreement, you must review this record and update it where required, based on further information collected under actions 1 and 2.

How to do it

It’s up to you how you complete this action.

You may find it helpful to read the guidance about how to identify opportunities to maintain or enhance public goods provided by your moorland, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep a written record of the opportunities you’ve identified to maintain or enhance public goods provided by your moorland. You must supply this evidence when we ask for it.

14. How to do the actions in the arable and horticultural soils standard

This ‘How to’ guide gives advice about how you could complete the actions in this standard. You may find it helpful to read this guide, but you don’t have to follow it. It covers how to:

• complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

• test soil organic matter

• add organic matter

• establish green cover over winter

14.1 Action 1: Complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

To complete a soil assessment, you’ll usually need to:

• assess soil type, texture, structure and biology

• assess risks to your soil

• identify historic features

Try to assess the soil and take soil samples when it is not too dry or wet. Spring or autumn are usually the best time of year to complete a soil assessment.

Assess soil type, structure and biology

The main soil types are:

• sand

• silt

• clay

• loam

• chalk

• peat

You can find out more about these soil types in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) information about the characteristics of different soils.

To check the soil type, you can search for your location in the Soilscapes soil types viewer produced by the National Soil Resources Institute of Cranfield University.

Soil texture

Soil texture depends on the mix of sand, silt and clay in the soil.

You can read Natural England’s Technical Information Note about soil texture, which includes the main soil texture types and what you’re likely to feel and see for each texture class.

Soil structure and compaction

Soil structure affects how air and water move in the soil and how well crops and grass can grow.

You can choose how you assess soil structure. To do this, you can:

• look at the soil surface to assess the quality of the crop or grass sward and identify areas where there may be soil structure issues

• take a soil sample by digging out a block of soil to a depth of around 30cm (12 inches)

• score the soil sample by visually assessing it

The information on checking regulatory issues and consents explains that you must get consent from Historic England if you plan to take soil samples on an area containing a scheduled monument. The consent form tells you what depth the soil samples can be.

You can read:

• the Environment Agency’s ‘think soils’ guide to identifying soil structural problems in the field

• the SRUC Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) chart to help with a visual assessment

It may save time if you assess soil structure when you test soil organic matter

Soil biology

Soil biology includes the presence of earthworms and other visible creatures, soil organic matter and microorganisms.

You can use a soil sample to count earthworms and other visible creatures, such as millipedes and spiders. To do this, you can use the same soil samples taken to assess soil structure and soil organic matter (action 2) or dig another pit.

The soil organic matter testing you do under action 2 will tell you about the soil organic matter.

Microorganisms can be quite difficult to assess yourself, but if you’d like to find out more you can ask a commercial laboratory to test soil samples for this.

To find out more about soil biology, you can read the AHDB factsheet: An introduction to Soil Biology.

14.2 Assess risks relating to soil

You can assess the risks relating to soil from:

• runoff or soil erosion, including connection to water bodies or sensitive habitats

• wind erosion

• nitrogen leaching

Once you’ve assessed these risks you can make an overall assessment of the risk for your land.

You can follow the steps below to assess risks to your soil.

Step 1: Risk of runoff and soil erosion

Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb, meaning that water drains away directly over the surface of land. This can carry fine soil particles, nutrients, pesticides and manures to water bodies, such as ponds, lakes, ditches, stream and rivers. This can cause pollution and potentially harm animals and plants that live in the water bodies.

Runoff can wash material directly from a land parcel into a water body. It can also travel in other ways, such as:

• through yards

• along tracks or roads

• via field drains

To assess the risk of runoff and soil erosion, you can consider:

• the gradient of a slope - steeper slopes have a greater risk of runoff and soil erosion as water runs more quickly over the surface

• how long a slope is

• soil texture - this affects whether rain soaks into the soil or runs over the surface, and how easily soil particles will be washed away

• how often the land floods - it is more susceptible to erosion and runoff if it floods frequently

• how close the land is to a water body

Step 1a: Assess the gradient of the slope

You can choose how to measure the gradient of a slope. For example, you could use a clinometer.

The risk of runoff is:

• high for steep slopes - these are slopes with an angle of 7 degrees or more (12%+ gradient)

• moderate for moderate slopes - slopes with an angle of 3-7 degrees (5-12% gradient)

• lower for gentle slopes - slopes with an angle of 2-3 degrees (3-5% gradient)

Step 1b: Assess other runoff and erosion factors

After you’ve assessed the risk of runoff for each land parcel based on the gradient of the slope, you can adjust the runoff and erosion risk assessment to reflect:

• slope length

• soil texture

• flooding frequency

• history of runoff or ponding

For example, lighter soils on moderate slopes have a high risk of runoff. Land that regularly floods (at least once every 3 years) has a high risk of erosion or runoff.

Step 1c: Assess how close land is to water

The risk of runoff may be less significant if the land parcel is not close or well connected to a water body, such as a pond, lake, ditch, stream or river. You can assess the risk of runoff based on how close the land parcel is to a water body.

The risk of runoff is:

• high – if the land parcel you’re assessing is directly next to a water body

• moderate – if the land parcel is separated from a water body by at least one other land parcel

• lower – if the land parcel is some distance from a water body

Step 1d: risk based on history of runoff or ponding

You can then refine the risk assessment for each land parcel based on the history of runoff and ponding. The risk of runoff is:

• high - if visible runoff and ponding happens to the land you’re assessing in most years during wet periods

• moderate - if visible runoff happens in most years during wet periods

• lower - if runoff happens occasionally during wet periods

Step 1e: refine your risk of runoff and soil erosion

Once you’ve considered the risks above, you can use your experience and judgement to adjust the level of risk for each land parcel, taking into account additional factors such as:

• soil structure

• organic matter content - higher organic content usually increases the ability of soil to absorb water

• valley features, as they tend to concentrate runoff water

• long unbroken slopes

• land use

Step 2: Risk of wind erosion

Wind erosion is most likely on fine sandy soils and light peaty soils. It will be worse in dry conditions or where there is drainage, bare land or fine dry seedbeds.

Signs of wind erosion include drifting soil, buried seedlings, and soil blown into hedgerows, ditches and onto nearby roads.

If there are fine sandy soils or light peaty soils and wind erosion occurs at least once every 3 years, identify this area as high risk in your soil assessment. If there are chalk or limestone soils, the risk is likely to be moderate. Other soil types are likely to be lower risk.

Step 3: Risk of nitrogen leaching

Light sandy and shallow soils are less able to store nitrogen. It can be easily lost as water filters through the soil. If you have land parcels with this type of soil where you add nitrogen-based fertilisers, identify this as being at risk of nitrogen leaching.

Step 4: Make an overall risk assessment

Once you’ve assessed all the risks above, and made any adjustments you judge are relevant, you can make your overall risk assessment for your land. You can do this by classifying the overall risks as very high, high, moderate or lower. For example:

• if there are a number of high risks, it’s likely to be an overall very high risk

• if there are some high risks, some mediums and a few lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall high risk

• if there are mainly medium and lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall medium risk

• If there are mainly lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall lower risk

14.3 How to produce a soil management plan

You can use your soil assessment to record information in your soil management plan. This will help you plan how to manage your land parcels to improve soil health and reduce the risks you identified in your soil assessment.

Information you can record in the soil management plan

You can record information in your plan for each land parcel or area where the soils and slopes differ, as identified during your soil assessment. The information you record in your soil management plan could include:

• soil type, structure and composition

• risks and problems that need to be addressed

• how you currently manage the area

• proposed management actions to improve soil health

Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE) has produced some helpful guides about managing soils for a range of farming systems which may help with your proposed management actions to improve soil health.

If you have land with known historic or archaeological features, you can record these in your plan. This will inform how you manage land above and around these features.

You can find out about any known historic or archaeological features when you apply for SFI. If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you need to request an SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

How to record your soil management plan

You can choose how to record a soil management plan. For example, you could use a map or spreadsheet to record the information. You can choose to record the plan on paper or digitally.

This table is an example of how you could choose to record a soil management plan.

Field or part field reference	Field details	Risks and problems identified in the soil assessment	Proposed management actions
Field 1, part 1 ST0000 0000	Lower risk of runoff and erosion. Medium textured well-drained stable soil in combinable crop rotation. Slopes under 3 degrees. Soil structure good, no signs of runoff or erosion.	None identified	Maintain current management. Reconsider if cropping changes.
Field 2 SY0000 0000	High runoff and erosion risk. Erodible light sandy soil in combinable crop rotation. Slopes over 7 degrees. Buried remains of Roman Villa. Next to road and watercourse.	Soil/sediment deposition. Risk of compaction increasing runoff and erosion	Include cover crop in rotation to improve soil organic matter content.

Review your soil management plan each year

The arable and horticultural soils standard requires that you review your soil management plan each year, update it to take account of:

• new soil analysis you undertake, including soil organic matter testing under action 2

• new risks or continuing issues identified in your land parcels

• updated proposed management actions for the forthcoming year

Additional information

Other information about assessing your soil is available. This includes:

• The Environment Agency’s ‘think soils’ practical guide to soil assessment

• The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) soil health assessment guide

• Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE) soils information

• AHDB’s information about soil texture and cation exchange capacity.

• AHDB’s factsheet about how to count earthworms and use the earthworm recording sheet.

• the AHDB GreatSoils factsheet about biological tests for soil health.

14.4 Action 2: Test soil organic matter

Testing soil organic matter will help you assess the health of your soil. To do this, you can:

• take soil samples

• analyse the soil samples, which will usually be done by a commercial laboratory

How to select a sample area

Before you take soil samples, you’ll need to select your sample areas. A sample area is an area of land across which you will take soil samples.

When you select sample areas, try to choose areas which have:

• a similar soil type

• been managed in a similar way in the past

If the soil type and past management is similar, you can take account of the size of the land parcels:

• select one sample area in each land parcel if you consider the land parcels to be an average size

• select a number of smaller sample areas within a large land parcel

• combine small land parcels into a single sample area, but try to avoid the combined area being too large as this will reduce the soil testing analysis accuracy

The arable and horticultural soils standard requires that the soil for all the land parcels entered into this standard has been tested for soil organic matter within the last 5 years. If you combine a number of small land parcels into a single sample area, you can meet this requirement by taking soil from each land parcel and combining it into a single sample for testing.

When to take soil samples

You may find it easier to take soil samples in the spring or autumn, before you cultivate the land. This will also avoid damaging the crop.

It is advisable to avoid taking soil samples if:

• the soil is waterlogged or very dry, because it may reduce the quality of the soil analysis

• manure or slurry has been applied within around the last 3 months, as it may affect the soil organic matter levels and give you a false result

How to take soil samples

You can take multiple soil samples on each sample area and combine them into a single sample that represents the soil across each sample area.

You can choose how many soil samples you take in each sample area, but try to take enough to gain a good understanding of the soil organic matter across each sample area.

Avoid taking soil samples on areas of land where:

• there are historical or archaeological features, as identified on your SFI HEFER

• features like manure heaps, pylons, gateways, headlands and around trees, as these features can distort the soil analysis results

To get a representative sample of the sample area you’re testing, aim to take cores up to a depth of around 15cm (6 inches).

The information on checking regulatory issues and consents explains that you must get consent from Historic England if you plan to take soil samples on an area containing a scheduled monument. The consent form tells you what depth the soil samples can be.

You can follow these steps to take soil samples for soil organic matter:

1. Walk a ‘W’ pattern across the sample area, with 5-7 stops along each leg of the ‘W’.

2. This will give you around 25 soil samples across the sample area.

3. Combine the soil samples in a clean plastic bag, to form one bulk sample of about 0.5kg.

If you want to assess the soil structure and soil biology (for action 1), at 5 to 10 stops across the whole ‘W’ you can:

• assess topsoil structure

• count and record earthworms

You can also assess the subsoil structure at 3 of the stops, one of which should be on a headland.

You may find it helpful to read the AHDB guidance about how to collect a soil sample.

The image below shows how you can walk a ‘W’ and take soil samples across a sample area.

How to test the soil samples

If you have the right equipment and expertise, you can test the soil samples yourself. However, sending your soil samples to a commercial laboratory will usually give more accurate results. You can find a list of laboratories where you can send your soil samples on the AHDB website.

Try to use the same laboratory and method of testing if you are repeating the tests over a number of years. Having a consistent approach will help you see how the soil organic matter is increasing or decreasing over time.

If you use a laboratory, you can ask them to test organic matter content by using the:

• loss on ignition test (as a minimum level of analysis)

• Dumas test, which uses dry combustion to burn the samples

14.5 Action 3: Add organic matter

To add organic matter to the soil, you can:

• apply organic manure

• use green manures, catch crops or cover crops

• chop or leave, or incorporate, straw

• introduce grass or herbal leys into an arable rotation

• include legume species or legume rich mixes in rotations

When choosing how you will add organic matter, consider the soil type and risks you’ve identified in your soil assessment for action 1 in this standard.

You may also find it helpful to read the AHDB Great Soils factsheet about adding organic matter to soil.

Depending on the type of organic manure you apply, you may need to read the sewage sludge in agriculture: code of practice and check if you need a land spreading permit.

When choosing how you will add organic matter, consider the soil type and risks you’ve identified in your soil assessment for action 1 in this standard.

You may also find it helpful to read the AHDB GreatSoils factsheet about adding organic matter to soil.

Peaty soil

If the soil type is peaty, the arable and horticultural soils standard requires that you should not complete this action because adding organic matter can speed up peat decomposition. Peaty soil means there is around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more.

14.6 Action 4: Winter cover

You can use crops or vegetation that provide a green cover to protect bare soil over the winter. These include:

• autumn-sown crops such as winter cereals, linseed and oilseed rape

• a quick-growing cover crop, including green manures

• leaving weedy stubbles that give sufficient cover to protect the soil

The crops or vegetation you choose need to be:

• suitable for winter sowing

• fast growing

• frost tolerant to provide adequate cover over winter

If you’re using a quick-growing cover crop, you may find it helpful to read the AHDB information sheet about cover crops.

If you enter land into the intermediate level of the arable and horticultural soils standard, you’ll need to include multi-species cover crops on the required (20%) area of land entered into this level of the standard.

Multi-species cover crops are a sown mix of plant species grown together on the same area of land to protect the soil and improve its health. You may find it helpful to read the AHDB information sheet about cover crops.

The arable and horticultural soils standard explains that as a minimum, the multi-species cover crops must include a mix of at least two species from one or more of these plant families:

• brassica

• legume

• grass or cereal

• herbs

You can choose any mix that works for your farm. Choosing a varied mix (with multiple species from different plant families and with different characteristics) will normally bring greater benefits to your soil.

How to establish winter cover

To achieve a well-established winter cover with leafy vegetation to protect the soil from the start of December, you may want to establish it in late summer or early autumn.

If you’re in an area with a shorter growing season you may need to choose plants that germinate and grow in cooler weather.

The image below gives an example of well-established green cover at the start of the winter months.

The image below gives an example of very well-established, multi-species winter green cover.

If you’re using weedy stubbles for winter cover, to meet the requirement in the arable and horticultural soils standard they need to give sufficient cover to protect the soil. This is likely to be the case if the stubbles follow the harvest of:

• barley

• canary seed

• oats

• red millet

• rye

• triticale

• wheat

• white millet

• linseed

• oilseed rape

• quinoa

How to destroy winter cover

The arable and horticultural soils standard requires you to retain the winter cover until the end of February, unless you’re planting an early-sown spring crop.

How you destroy the winter cover is up to you. You can graze your cover crop with livestock and incorporate it into your soils to increase organic matter (this also counts towards action 3 in the arable and horticultural soils standard).

Avoid using heavy machinery, or heavy grazing, on wet soils to destroy the winter cover as this can cause soil compaction.

15. How to do the actions in the improved grassland soils standard

This ‘How to’ guide gives advice about how you could complete the actions in this standard. You may find it helpful to read this guide, but you don’t have to follow it. It covers how to:

• complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

• test soil organic matter

• minimise bare ground over winter

• establish and maintain herbal leys

15.1 Action 1: Complete a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan

To complete a soil assessment, you’ll usually need to:

• assess soil type, texture, structure and biology

• assess risks to your soil

• identify historic features

Try to assess the soil and take soil samples when it is not too dry or wet. Spring or autumn are usually the best time of year to complete a soil assessment.

Assess soil type, structure and biology

The main soil types are:

• sand

• silt

• clay

• loam

• chalk

• peat

You can find out more about these soil types in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) information about the characteristics of different soils.

To check the soil type, you can search for your location in the Soilscapes soil types viewer produced by the National Soil Resources Institute of Cranfield University.

Soil texture

Soil texture depends on the mix of sand, silt and clay in the soil.

You can read Natural England’s Technical Information Note about soil texture, which includes the main soil texture types and what you’re likely to feel and see for each texture class.

Soil structure and compaction

Soil structure affects how air and water move in the soil and how well crops and grass can grow.

You can choose how you assess soil structure. To do this, you can:

• look at the soil surface to assess the quality of the crop or grass sward and identify areas where there may be soil structure issues

• take a soil sample by digging out a block of soil to a depth of around 30cm (12 inches)

• score the soil sample by visually assessing it

You can read:

• the Environment Agency’s ‘think soils’ guide to identifying soil structural problems in the field

• the SRUC Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) chart to help with a visual assessment

It may save time if you assess soil structure when you test soil organic matter.

Soil biology

Soil biology includes the presence of earthworms and other visible creatures, soil organic matter and microorganisms.

You can use a soil sample to count earthworms and other visible creatures, such as millipedes and spiders. To do this, you can use the same soil samples taken to assess soil structure and soil organic matter (action 2) or dig another pit.

The soil organic matter testing you do under action 2 will tell you about the soil organic matter.

Microorganisms can be quite difficult to assess yourself, but if you’d like to find out more you can ask a commercial laboratory to test soil samples for this.

To find out more about soil biology, you can read the AHDB factsheet: An introduction to Soil Biology.

15.2 Assess risks relating to soil

You can assess the risks relating to soil from:

• runoff or soil erosion, including connection to water bodies or sensitive habitats

• wind erosion

• nitrogen leaching

Once you’ve assessed these risks you can make an overall assessment of the risk for your land.

You can follow the steps below to assess risks to your soil.

Step 1: Risk of runoff and soil erosion

Runoff occurs when there is more water than land can absorb, meaning that water drains away directly over the surface of land. This can carry fine soil particles, nutrients, pesticides and manures to water bodies, such as ponds, lakes, ditches, stream and rivers. This can cause pollution and potentially harm animals and plants that live in the water bodies.

Runoff can wash material directly from a land parcel into a water body. It can also travel in other ways, such as:

• through yards

• along tracks or roads

• via field drains

To assess the risk of runoff and soil erosion, you can consider:

• the gradient of a slope - steeper slopes have a greater risk of runoff and soil erosion as water runs more quickly over the surface

• how long a slope is

• soil texture - this affects whether rain soaks into the soil or runs over the surface, and how easily soil particles will be washed away

• how often the land floods - it is more susceptible to erosion and runoff if it floods frequently

• how close the land is to a water body

Step 1a: Assess the gradient of the slope

You can choose how to measure the gradient of a slope. For example, you could use a clinometer.

The risk of runoff is:

• high for steep slopes - these are slopes with an angle of 7 degrees or more (12%+ gradient)

• moderate for moderate slopes - slopes with an angle of 3-7 degrees (5-12% gradient)

• lower for gentle slopes - slopes with an angle of 2-3 degrees (3-5% gradient)

Step 1b: Assess other runoff and erosion factors

After you’ve assessed the risk of runoff for each land parcel based on the gradient of the slope, you can adjust the runoff and erosion risk assessment to reflect:

• slope length

• soil texture

• flooding frequency

• history of runoff or ponding

For example, lighter soils on moderate slopes have a high risk of runoff. Land that regularly floods (at least once every 3 years) has a high risk of erosion or runoff.

Step 1c: Assess how close land is to water

The risk of runoff may be less significant if the land parcel is not close or well connected to a water body, such as a pond, lake, ditch, stream or river. You can assess the risk of runoff based on how close the land parcel is to a water body.

The risk of runoff is:

• high – if the land parcel you’re assessing is directly next to a water body

• moderate – if the land parcel is separated from a water body by at least one other land parcel

• lower – if the land parcel is some distance for land from a water body

Step 1d: risk based on history of runoff or ponding

You can then refine the risk assessment for each land parcel based on the history of runoff and ponding. The risk of runoff is:

• high - if visible runoff and ponding happens to the land you’re assessing in most years during wet periods

• moderate - if visible runoff happens in most years during wet periods

• lower - if runoff happens occasionally during wet periods

Step 1e: refine your risk of runoff and soil erosion

Once you’ve considered the risks above, you can use your experience and judgement to adjust the level of risk for each land parcel, taking into account additional factors such as:

• soil structure

• organic matter content - higher organic content usually increases the ability of soil to absorb water

• valley features, as they tend to concentrate runoff water

• long unbroken slopes

• land use

Step 2: Risk of wind erosion

Wind erosion is most likely on fine sandy soils and light peaty soils. It will be worse in dry conditions or where there is drainage, bare land or fine dry seedbeds.

Signs of wind erosion include drifting soil, buried seedlings, and soil blown into hedgerows, ditches and onto nearby roads.

If there are fine sandy soils or light peaty soils and wind erosion occurs at least once every 3 years, identify this area as high risk in your soil assessment. If there are chalk or limestone soils, the risk is likely to be moderate. Other soil types are likely to be lower risk.

Step 3: Risk of nitrogen leaching

Light sandy and shallow soils are less able to store nitrogen. It can be easily lost as water filters through the soil. If you have land parcels with this type of soil where you add nitrogen-based fertilisers, identify this as being at risk of nitrogen leaching.

Step 4: Make an overall risk assessment

Once you’ve assessed all the risks above, and made any adjustments you judge are relevant, you can make your overall risk assessment for your land. You can do this by classifying the overall risks as very high, high, moderate or lower. For example:

• if there are a number of high risks, it’s likely to be an overall very high risk

• if there are some high risks, some mediums and a few lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall high risk

• if there are mainly medium and lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall medium risk

• If there are mainly lower risks, it’s likely to be an overall lower risk

15.3 How to produce a soil management plan

You can use your soil assessment to record information in your soil management plan. This will help you plan how to manage your land parcels to improve soil health and reduce the risks you identified in your soil assessment.

Information you can record in the soil management plan

You can record information in your plan for each land parcel or area where the soils and slopes differ, as identified during your soil assessment. The information you record in your soil management plan could include:

• soil type, structure and composition

• risks and problems that need to be addressed

• how you currently manage the area

• proposed management actions to improve soil health

Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE) has produced some helpful guides about managing soils for a range of farming systems which may help with your proposed management actions to improve soil health.

If you have land with known historic or archaeological features, you can record these in your plan. This will inform how you manage land above and around these features.

You can find out about any known historic or archaeological features when you apply for SFI. If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you need to request an SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

How to record your soil management plan

You can choose how to record a soil management plan. For example, you could use a map or spreadsheet to record the information. You can choose to record the plan on paper or digitally.

This table is an example of how you could choose to record a soil management plan.

Field or part field reference	Field details	Risks and problems identified in the soil assessment	Proposed management actions
Field 1, part 1 ST0000 0000	Lower risk of runoff and erosion. Medium textured well-drained stable soil in combinable crop rotation. Slopes under 3 degrees. Soil structure good, no signs of runoff or erosion.	None identified	Maintain current management. Reconsider if cropping changes.
Field 2 SY0000 0000	High runoff and erosion risk. Erodible light sandy soil in combinable crop rotation. Slopes over 7 degrees. Buried remains of Roman Villa. Next to road and watercourse.	Soil/sediment deposition. Risk of compaction increasing runoff and erosion	Include cover crop in rotation to improve soil organic matter content.

Review your soil management plan each year

The improved grassland soils standard requires that you review your soil management plan each year, update it to take account of:

• new soil analysis you undertake, including soil organic matter testing under action 2

• new risks or continuing issues identified in your land parcels

• updated proposed management actions for the forthcoming year

Additional information

Other information about assessing your soil is available. This includes:

• The Environment Agency’s ‘think soils’ practical guide to soil assessment

• The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) soil health assessment guide

• Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE) soils information

• AHDB’s information about soil texture and cation exchange capacity.

• AHDB’s factsheet about how to count earthworms and use the earthworm recording sheet.

• the AHDB GreatSoils factsheet about biological tests for soil health.

15.4 Action 2: Test soil organic matter

Testing soil organic matter will help you assess the health of your soil. To do this, you can:

• take soil samples

• analyse the soil samples, which will usually be done by a commercial laboratory

How to select a sample area

Before you take soil samples, you’ll need to select your sample areas. A sample area is an area of land across which you will take soil samples.

When you select sample areas, try to choose areas which have:

• a similar soil type

• been managed in a similar way in the past

If the soil type and past management is similar, you can take account of the size of the land parcels:

• select one sample area in each land parcel if you consider the land parcels to be an average size

• select a number of smaller sample areas within a large land parcel

• combine small land parcels into a single sample area, but try to avoid the combined area being too large as this will reduce the soil testing analysis accuracy

The improved grassland soils standard requires that the soil for all the land parcels entered into this standard has been tested for soil organic matter within the last 5 years. If you combine a number of small land parcels into a single sample area, you can meet this requirement by taking soil from each land parcel and combining it into a single sample for testing.

When to take soil samples

You may find it easier to take soil samples in the spring or autumn, before you cultivate the land. This will also avoid damaging the crop.

It is advisable to avoid taking soil samples if:

• the soil is waterlogged or very dry, because it may reduce the quality of the soil analysis

• manure or slurry has been applied within around the last 3 months, as it may affect the soil organic matter levels and give you a false result

How to take soil samples

You can take multiple soil samples on each sample area and combine them into a single sample that represents the soil across each sample area.

You can choose how many soil samples you take in each sample area, but try to take enough to gain a good understanding of the soil organic matter across each sample area.

Avoid taking soil samples on areas of land where:

• there are historical or archaeological features, as identified on your SFI HEFER

• features like manure heaps, pylons, gateways, headlands and around trees, as these features can distort the soil analysis results

To get a representative sample of the sample area you’re testing, aim to take cores up to a depth of around 15cm (6 inches).

You can follow these steps to take soil samples for soil organic matter:

1. Walk a ‘W’ pattern across the sample area, with 5-7 stops along each leg of the ‘W’.

2. This will give you around 25 soil samples across the sample area.

3. Combine the soil samples in a clean plastic bag, to form one bulk sample of about 0.5kg.

If you want to assess the soil structure and soil biology (for action 1), at 5 to 10 stops across the whole ‘W’ you can:

• assess topsoil structure

• count and record earthworms

You can also assess the subsoil structure at 3 of the stops, one of which should be on a headland.

You may find it helpful to read the AHDB guidance about how to collect a soil sample.

The image below shows how you can walk a ‘W’ and take soil samples across a sample area.

How to test the soil samples

If you have the right equipment and expertise, you can test the soil samples yourself. However, sending your soil samples to a commercial laboratory will usually give more accurate results. You can find a list of laboratories where you can send your soil samples on the AHDB website.

Try to use the same laboratory and method of testing if you are repeating the tests over a number of years. Having a consistent approach will help you see how the soil organic matter is increasing or decreasing over time.

If you use a laboratory, you can ask them to test organic matter content by using the:

• loss on ignition test (as a minimum level of analysis)

• Dumas test, which uses dry combustion to burn the samples

15.5 Action 3: Minimise bare ground over winter

How to minimise bare ground over winter

There are various ways you can minimise bare ground, including:

• ensuring early establishment of reseeded grassland

• preventing livestock poaching wet ground

• avoiding localised poaching around gateways and when supplementary feeding livestock

How to ensure early establishment of reseeded grassland

To ensure early establishment of reseeded grassland, you can cultivate the land parcel in the spring and summer rather than autumn.

Reseeding grassland in the spring will usually mean there are better conditions for the grass to establish, with sufficient soil moisture to support germination of the grass seeds.

Before reseeding, you may choose to address any subsoil compaction or surface capping.

You may find it helpful to read the AHDB’s guidance about grassland reseeding.

How to prevent livestock poaching wet ground

To prevent livestock poaching wet ground, you can move them regularly or reduce the number of livestock grazing an area of land.

You can also:

• have a dense sward to protect the soil and minimise the formation of bare patches

• provide hard standing around permanent feeders, water troughs and in gateways regularly used by livestock

You may find it helpful to read AHDB’s tips for on/off grazing to avoid poaching tips for on/off grazing to avoid poaching.

How to avoid localised poaching

You can move supplementary feeders and water troughs regularly to avoid localised poaching by livestock. If there are historic features identified on your SFI HEFER, you can try to supplementary feed at least 6m away from those features, where possible.

You can also try to make sure that farm vehicles use established tracks.

15.6 Action 4: Establish and maintain herbal leys

How to establish herbal leys

The correct seed mix is vital to growing a high-quality herbal ley. Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that is the best match for your land, local conditions and how you’ll manage the ley.

You can choose what mix of grasses, legumes and herbs to use in the herbal ley. A high-quality herbal ley will usually include at least:

• 5 species of grass, such as cocksfoot, festulolium, meadow fescue, perennial ryegrass, smooth-stalked meadow grass, tall fescue and timothy)

• 3 species of legumes, such as bird’s-foot-trefoil, lucerne, red clover, sainfoin winter vetch and common vetch, and black medick

• 5 species of herbs, such as burnet, chicory, ribwort plantain and yarrow

Avoid festulolium and perennial ryegrass combined making up more than 70% by weight of the total seed mix.

The improved grassland soils standard requires that you don’t establish herbal leys on any area that is a site of special scientific interest, or historic or archaeological features identified on your SFI HEFER.

How to maintain herbal leys

You can maintain herbal leys by:

• grazing

• cutting

Between the start of May and the end of July, you can rest the herbal leys from cutting and grazing for a period of at least 5 weeks. This allows the flowers to open and provide a source of pollen and nectar for insects.

It can take up to 4 years for the roots to grow enough to improve soil structure and fertility.

16. How to do the actions in the moorland standard

This ‘How to’ guide gives advice about how you could complete the actions in this standard. You may find it helpful to read this guide, but you don’t have to follow it.

16.1 What this guide covers

This guide covers how to assess a wide range of moorland features, some of which will be relevant to the moorland you are surveying. This largely depends on what type of soil is present.

The main steps in assessing your moorland are summarised below.

Step 1: Select your sample points

Divide your moorland into around 10 hectare (ha) blocks and select a sample point within each block.

Step 2: Carry out the survey at each sample point

At each sample point, identify, assess the condition (where relevant) and:

For all soils, record:

• presence or non-presence of peat (and depth of peat if it is present)

• extent of bare ground

• extent of erosion

• roughness of ground surface

• presence of historic and archaeological features

• presence of additional features such as trees, scrub, bracken and artificial drainage

If you have peat soils, also record:

• wetness of peat soil

• presence of peat-forming bog mosses

• range of peatland plants

If you have non-peat soils (or soils with minimal peat), also record:

• overall average height of tall or woody vegetation

• overall average height of tall or deep-rooted vegetation

Step 3: Assess public goods

Use the information from Step 2 to assess the public goods already provided by the moorland.

Step 4: Identify potential opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods your moorland provides

Use the information from steps 2 and 3 to identify potential opportunities to improve the condition of the features to maintain or enhance delivery of the public goods provided by the moorland.

16.2 How to prepare to do the survey of the moorland

The best time to survey moorland is between mid-July and the end of October. This avoids the main bird breeding season (March to mid-July).

Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law. If you see signs of nesting birds, you should delay the survey until the birds fledge.

Try to avoid doing the survey after periods of heavy or prolonged rainfall.

16.3 Step 1: Select your sample points

Before you survey the moorland, the moorland standard requires that you divide the moorland area into blocks of around 10 ha and select a sample point within each block.

At each sample point:

• identify, assess and record the soil, vegetation and historic and archaeological features (action 1 of the introductory level of the moorland standard)

• identify public goods the moorland is already providing (action 2)

• identify opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods your moorland provides (action 3)

To select your sample points, you may find it helpful to use a paper or digital Ordnance Survey (OS) map of either:

• 1:10,000 scale

• 1:25,000 scale, which shows contours

You can overlay the OS map with a grid to split the moorland into blocks of around 10 ha (for example 200m x 500m rectangular blocks). If possible, try to make the blocks equally-sized.

You can also use the MAGIC website to create 10 ha squares. This link opens a map with a moorland line layer (in purple). Use your mouse to zoom to a scale of 1:25000 or 1:10000. You will then see 10 ha squares covering all land within the moorland line, each with a unique reference number.

The moorland standard requires that each 10 ha block is surveyed at a different sample point each year of your 3-year SFI standards agreement. You can therefore consider:

• splitting the 10 ha blocks into 3 smaller areas

• selecting a sample point within each of the 3 smaller areas that broadly represents the main vegetation and soil types within the 10 ha block

• numbering each sample point on the OS map, to help you identify where your observations were taken

Select sample points that you can access safely to complete the survey.

Other information to help you prepare for the survey

In your SFI application, you will be told if you need to request an SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER). To prepare for the survey, you can use the SFI HEFER map to identify historic and archaeological features on your OS map.

16.4 Step 2: Carry out the survey at each sample point

You can keep a record of your survey on paper or digitally. You may also find it helpful to have a camera with you to take photographs.

At each sample point, take a short walk around it to confirm the main vegetation and soil types broadly represent the surrounding area.

You should choose a different sample point if the:

• main vegetation and soil types are not broadly representative

• selected sample point is not safe to survey

If the whole 10 ha block is unsafe to survey, record that it was unsafe and move to the next 10 ha block.

At each sample point, record the unique number you have given it and identify, assess and record the information required.

You may choose to take photographs at each sample point of:

• the vegetation at your feet

• the surrounding area, including historic and archaeological features

What to survey at each sample point

At each sample point, the moorland standard requires that you identify, assess and record the soil, vegetation and historic and archaeological features. This will help you assess the:

• public goods these are providing

• opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods provided

The environmental public goods provided by moorland include:

• carbon storage and capture, to offset the effects of climate change

• water storage and flow, to reduce the effects of flooding and drought

• clean water, to maintain or enhance water quality

• biodiversity, to protect plants and wildlife

• heritage, to protect historic and archaeological features

Table 1 explains what you can assess and record at each sample point that affect these environmental public goods.

Table 1: How to identify and assess public goods from soil type and ground cover

Soil type	What to identify and assess	Public good provided
All soil types	Presence and depth of peat	Carbon storage
All soil types	Extent of bare ground	Carbon storage
All soil types	Extent of erosion	Clean water
All soil types	Roughness of ground surface	Water storage and flow
All soil types	Presence of historic or archaeological features	Heritage
Peat soils	Wetness of peat soil	Carbon storage
Peat soils	Presence of peat-forming bog mosses	Carbon capture
Peat soils	Presence of peat-forming bog mosses	Clean water
Peat soils	Presence of peat-forming bog mosses	Water storage and flow
Peat soils	Presence of peat-forming bog mosses	Biodiversity
Peat soils	Range of peatland plants	Biodiversity
Non (minimal) peat soils	Overall average height of tall or woody vegetation	Carbon capture
Non (minimal) peat soils	Overall average height of tall or deep- rooted vegetation	Water storage and flow
Non (minimal) peat soils	the structure of non-grassy vegetation or the structure of grassy vegetation	Biodiversity

There may be some additional features around the sample point that could affect the public goods the moorland provides. It may be helpful to record these as part of your survey. They include trees and scrub, bracken, drains and gullies and rock and scree.

16.5 Step 2(a): How to survey the features relevant to all soil types

At each sample point, you can survey the following features on both peat and non-peat soils.

Presence and depth of peat

You can use a thin rod or cane to assess the presence of peat and measure its depth. It would be helpful to mark it with 5cm, 10cm, 25cm, 30cm and 40cm from its base.

You can use the thin rod or cane to probe the soil for the presence of peat, and its depth. Push it vertically into the soil until you feel resistance or to a depth of more than 40cm.

You can record the soil type as:

• non-peat - if the thin rod or cane meets resistance at a depth of less than 5cm

• shallow peat if the thin rod or cane meets resistance at a depth of between 5-40cm

• deep peat - if the thin rod or cane meets resistance at a depth of over 40cm

If there is existing data available on presence of peat and its depth, this can be used as an alternative to probing the soil.

You should avoid probing the soil on areas where there are historical or archaeological features. Your SFI HEFER will help you identify such areas.

Extent of bare ground

Bare ground is prone to erosion and can emit CO2 to the atmosphere as organic matter decomposes. Minimal bare ground helps protect against this. You can assess the extent of bare ground by looking at the overall position across the sample point.

Table 3: record the extent of bare ground

The extent of bare ground	Current assessment of public good
Mainly large, obvious patches of bare peat or soil	Carbon storage: opportunity to restore
Mainly small patches (less than 20cm) of bare ground amongst thin or newly established vegetation	Carbon storage: opportunity to enhance
No obvious patches of bare peat or soil	Carbon storage: already providing, maintain

Extent of erosion

Obvious signs of erosion include rills and gullies on exposed areas, particularly if they’re linked to water bodies.

Erosion features could include vehicle tracks and footpaths. These concentrate water flow, for example, on steep slopes.

You can assess the extent of erosion by looking at the overall position in the area around the sample point.

Table 4: Record erosion

Extent of erosion	Current assessment of public good
Large obvious patches of actively eroding bare peat or soil	Clean water: opportunity to restore
Small obvious patches of bare peat or soil	Clean water: opportunity to enhance
No obvious patches of bare ground or erosion	Clean water: already providing, maintain

Roughness of ground surface

If the ground surface is rough this helps to slow the flow of water by holding it back from watercourses. This allows more water to evaporate or infiltrate the soil.

You can walk around the sample point to assess the roughness of ground surface.

Table 5: how to record the roughness of ground surface

Roughness of ground surface	Current public good assessment
Smooth grass, bare ground or carpet moss	Storage and flow of water: opportunity to restore
No bare ground or sparse bare ground, with at least the occasional hummocks of moss	Storage and flow of water: opportunity to enhance
Frequent hummocks of moss or tussocks of grass or bracken	Storage and flow of water: already providing, maintain

Historic or archaeological features

In your SFI application, you will be told if you need to request an SFI Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

This will help you to identify and assess historic or archaeological features on, under or around the sample points.

You can also record any such features that you already know of or that you observe when assessing the sample point that aren’t in your SFI HEFER.

You can record any risks to the condition of the historic or archaeological features, such as:

• the presence of any trees, scrub or bracken on or next to the feature

• any activity by livestock on or next to the feature that disturbs the soil, causes erosion or compacts the ground

• land management practices that disturb the soil, cause erosion or compact the ground, such as use of vehicle tracks or heavy machinery

• burrowing animals, such as badgers or rabbits

Additional features

There may be some additional features around the sample point that could affect the public goods the moorland provides. It may be helpful to record these as part of your survey. For example, you could record additional features within about 100 metres of each sample point.

These additional features include:

• trees and scrub, which you can record as none, scattered trees/saplings and/or scrub, dense scrub, woodland or a mix of trees/scrub/woodland

• bracken, which you can record as none, more than 50% canopy cover with some litter, more than 50% canopy cover with dense litter

• drains and gullies, which you can record as none, channels mainly bare along base, channel base more than 50% vegetation, channel is blocked

• rock and scree which you can record as none, rock outcrops e.g. crags and tors, scree and boulder fields, limestone pavement.

16.6 Step 2(b): How to survey the features relevant to peat soils

If you have identified peat soils, you can survey the following features.

Wetness of peat soils

The wetness affects the peat soil’s capacity to store carbon.

You can assess the wetness by a visual assessment and using the thin rod or cane you used to assess the presence and depth of peat.

Table 6: how to record the wetness of peat soils

Wetness of peat soils

Current public good assessment

Dry or firm peat – no peat sticks to the thin rod or cane	Carbon storage: opportunity to restore
Moist peat - the area looks damp on the surface and the thin rod or cane is moist when removed from the peat	Carbon storage: opportunity to enhance
Wet peat - if there is standing water or water appears when you press the peat with your foot	Carbon storage: already providing, maintain

Peat-forming bog mosses

Bog mosses hold water and are very important to the formation of peat.

You can assess the presence of peat-forming bog mosses by looking at the overall position across the sample point.

Table 7: record presence of peat-forming bog mosses

How many peat-forming bog mosses	Current public goods assessment
Absent or sparse	Carbon capture, clean water, water storage and flow, biodiversity: opportunity to restore
Present in patches	Carbon capture, clean water, water storage and flow, biodiversity: opportunity to enhance
Abundant	Carbon capture, clean water, water storage and flow, biodiversity: already providing, maintain

Range of peatland plants

In addition to bog mosses, moorland peatland is characterised by the presence of a range of other peatland plants. Drier peat will usually have a lack of other wetland plants such as cotton-grass, cranberry and crowberry.

You can assess if other peatland plants are present by looking at the overall position for the sample point.

Table 8: record peatland plants

Peatland plants	Current public good assessment
Vegetation dominated by heather, bilberry, grass, bracken or moss (not bog moss)	Biodiversity: opportunity to restore
Mix of heather, bilberry, grass and mosses, with no clearly dominant vegetation	Biodiversity: opportunity to enhance
An abundance of peatland plants such as cotton-grass, bog moss, cranberry and crowberry	Biodiversity: already providing, maintain

Survey features relevant to non-peat soils

If you have identified non-peat soils, you can survey the following features.

Average height of tall or woody vegetation

On non-peat soils, the presence of taller, woody vegetation contributes to carbon storage on the moorland. Tall, woody vegetation will usually be heather, other dwarf shrubs, gorse, other scrub and scattered trees.

You can use a thin rod or cane to assess the height of tall or woody vegetation. To do this, it would be helpful to mark it with 5cm, 10cm, 25cm, 30cm and 40cm from its base.

You may need to do this in a few places to give you an average across the sample point.

Table 9: record the average height of tall or woody vegetation

Average height of tall or woody vegetation	Current public good assessment
Bare ground or vegetation mostly below 10cm	Carbon capture: opportunity to restore
Vegetation mostly below 30cm	Carbon capture: opportunity to enhance
Vegetation mostly over 30cm	Carbon capture: already providing, maintain

Average height of tall or deep-rooted vegetation

On non-peat soils, the presence of tall or deep-rooted vegetation slows the flow of water over the ground. Tall or deep-rooted vegetation will usually include tall and tussocky grasses and bracken, as well as dwarf shrubs such as heather. It may also include scrub and scattered trees.

For tall or deep-rooted vegetation, you can measure the average height of live plants.

You can use a thin rod or cane to assess the height of tall or deep-rooted vegetation. It would be helpful to mark it with 5cm, 10cm, 25cm, 30cm and 40cm from its base.

You may need to do this in a few places to give you an average across the sample point.

Table 10: record the height of tall or deep-rooted vegetation

Average height of tall or deep-rooted vegetation	Current public good assessment
Bare ground or vegetation mostly below 5cm	Water storage and flow: opportunity to restore
Vegetation mostly below 25cm	Water storage and flow: opportunity to enhance
Vegetation mostly over 25cm	Water storage and flow: already providing, maintain

Structure of grassy and non-grassy vegetation

On non-peat soils, the structure of either grassy or non-grassy vegetation can affect how the moorland provides habitat for different species.

Depending on to the vegetation at your sample point, you can assess either:

• grassy vegetation, where there is over 75% grass or herb cover

• non-grassy vegetation, where there is over 25% cover of dwarf shrubs, and it does not fit the description of grassy vegetation

You can use a thin rod or cane to assess the height of grassy or non-grassy vegetation. It would be helpful to mark it with 5cm, 10cm, 25cm, 30cm and 40cm from its base.

You may need to do this in a few places to give you an average across the sample point

Table 11(a)record the structure of grassy vegetation

Structure of grassy vegetation	Current public good assessment
Uniform short vegetation less than 5cm	Biodiversity: opportunity to restore
Mostly shorter vegetation shorter than 10cm	Biodiversity: opportunity to enhance
A mix of heights with a variation of at least 10cm between tall and short patches	Biodiversity: already providing, maintain

Table 11(b): record the structure of non-grassy vegetation

Structure of non-grassy vegetation	Current public good assessment
Vegetation similar height	Biodiversity: opportunity to restore
A mix of vegetation heights, with tussocks or tall vegetation over 30cm	Biodiversity: opportunity to enhance
A wide range of vegetation heights including some tall vegetation over 50cm	Biodiversity: already providing, maintain

16.7 Step 3: How to assess the public goods provided by your moorland

You can use the information from step 2 to assess the overall provision of each relevant public good across your moorland.

For each public good across your moorland, you can add up the total number of sample points that:

• are already providing the public good

• could be enhanced to better provide the public good

• could be restored to provide the public good

Table 12 gives an example of how this may be done.

Table 12: How to assess the public goods provided by your moorland across the sample points

Public good	Ground cover measure	Number of sample points already providing public goods	Number of sample points with opportunity to enhance public goods	Number of sample points with opportunity to restore public goods	Overall public good assessment
Carbon storage	Extent of bare ground	13	0	0	Already providing, maintain
Carbon storage	Peat wetness	3	3	3	Enhance
Carbon capture	Bog mosses	1	3	5	Restore
Carbon capture	Tall or woody vegetation	1	2	0	Enhance
Water storage and flow	Roughness of ground surface	11	1	1	Enhance
Water storage and flow	Tall or deep-rooted vegetation	1	3	0	Enhance
Water storage and flow	Bog mosses	1	3	5	Restore
Water storage and flow	Extent of erosion	11	1	0	Already providing, maintain
Biodiversity	Range of peatland plants	7	2	0	Already providing, maintain
Biodiversity	Bog mosses	1	3	5	Restore
Biodiversity	Structure of non-grassy vegetation	1	3	0	Enhance
Biodiversity	Structure of grassy vegetation	0	0	0	Not applicable

16.8 Step 4: Identify potential opportunities to maintain or enhance the public goods your moorland provides

You can use your survey results to help you identify what potential opportunities there are to maintain or change current management practices to keep providing or enhance provision of public goods.

Tables 13, 14 and 15 suggest potential opportunities for all soil types, peat soils and non-peat soils.

The introductory level of the moorland standard does not require you undertake such actions. At this stage you are just considering what management practices could be done in the future.

Table 13: All soil types - how to assess potential opportunities to enhance the provision of public goods

Public good: feature	Opportunity to enhance public good provision	Potential management practices for the future
Carbon storage: extent of bare ground	Maintain vegetation and allow bare areas to revegetate	You might consider reviewing grazing management
Water quality: extent of erosion	Break up waterflow pathways and reduce the amount and energy of flowing water	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices or managing water drainage, for example block grips and gullies
Storage and flow of water: roughness of ground surface	Increase the average height and variation in heights of vegetation	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices or reviewing vegetation management practices

Table 14: Peat soils - how to assess the opportunities to enhance the provision of public goods

Public good: feature	Opportunity to enhance public good provision	Potential management practices for the future
Carbon storage: peat wetness	Keep water at or near the ground surface and reduce the effects of drainage	You might consider reviewing grazing management practices or reviewing water drainage management
Carbon capture; storage and flow of water; biodiversity: bog mosses	Increase the cover and structure of bog mosses	You might consider reviewing grazing management practices or reviewing vegetation management
Biodiversity: range of vegetation	Keep water table at or near the surface	You might consider reviewing grazing management practices or managing water drainage

16.9 Table 15: Non-peat soils - how to assess the opportunities to enhance the provision of public goods

Public good: feature	Opportunity to enhance public good provision	Potential management practices for the future
Carbon capture: tall or woody vegetation	Allow vegetation height and woody component to increase	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices
Storage and flow of water: tall and deep-rooted vegetation	Allow vegetation height to increase	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices or reviewing vegetation management
Biodiversity: structure of non-grassy vegetation	Diversify the height of dwarf shrubs, allow woody vegetation to develop	You might consider reviewing livestock management or reviewing vegetation management
Biodiversity: structure of grassy vegetation	Allow short, uniform grass to become tussocky	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices or reviewing vegetation management
Heritage: identified threats to historic environment	Manage trees, bracken and scrub	You might consider reviewing livestock management practices or reviewing vegetation management