Growers and farmers in England have joined forces with government and conservationists to launch a new campaign to enhance wildlife habitats and the wider environment.

The initiative also involves the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Dubbed the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE), it will last for three years and will encourage landowners and managers to introduce measures that will retain the benefits of set aside, which was abolished by the EU last year. These focus on protection in three main areas: for farmland birds, for farm wildlife and for natural resources.

The foundations for this ground-breaking, industry-led, voluntary approach were given government backing in July. A network of beacon farms are being established across the country to demonstrate how the CFE will work in practice, as well as allowing other farmers and land managers to share ideas in backing the campaign.

CFE is asking growers, farmers and land managers to renew their existing Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) agreements and choose at least one in-field option (if they are in ELS), retain and correctly record their current area of uncropped land and adopt at least one voluntary measure to meet the campaign targets. Advisers and agronomists are also being challenged to ensure they understand the environmental challenges for farming.

Local liaison groups have been set up in target counties to provide tailored advice and guidance to farmers and land managers depending on the environmental challenges and opportunities in their area.

The campaign will also bring together the many and confusing projects aimed at farmers’ management under a single banner and several targets have been set by CFE already which must be met over the next three years, to avoid the potential for future regulation. These include doubling the areas of key in-field ELS options (an additional 40,000 hectares), retaining 179,000ha of uncropped land across England and improving the management of at least one-third of this land to support habitats for birds, insects and mammals.

The initiative launched yesterday at National Farmers' Union president Peter Kendall’s Bedfordshire farm.

Kendall said: “ This is all about delivering a culture change in both farming practices and the way we approach regulation. Although it’s the most ambitious campaign farming has ever faced, the whole industry, from suppliers and advisers to farmers and landowners, is absolutely committed to making it work. The alternative is having the regulatory option forced upon us, which will no doubt bring with it more red tape and cost to farmers and growers.

“We all have a part to play in making sure this campaign works. All farms have wildlife, natural resources and farmland birds that need protecting and no-one cares more for the land than our farmers, growers and landowners. They know that a healthy environment is vital for a sustainable future; one in which we can grow more but impact less.

“This campaign is all about the industry uniting to bring about change but we’re also encouraging ideas and initiatives from any organisations that think they have something to offer.

“We have all been challenged by the secretary of state, who has shown belief in the farming industry, and it is now down to every single one of us to work together and deliver on our promises to secure and enhance the environmental management of farmland.”

DEFRA secretary of state Hilary Benn also issued a statement ahead of the launch. He said: “The CFE is a testament to the determination of farmers, government, and environmental organisations to work together to support and protect wildlife and biodiversity. Two-thirds of England’s farmers have so far put part of their land into an agri-environment scheme and the campaign’s challenge is to build on this excellent start. And for those yet to join a scheme, we want to encourage them to take voluntary action that best fits how they farm, so they can support wildlife and protect water quality while continuing to produce food in a sustainable way.”