Natural England has launched its ‘Future of Farming Awards’ scheme at the Royal Show.

The new scheme has been created to celebrate environmental excellence and innovation in farming, recognising growers and farmers who have made the greatest contribution to both conserving England’s wildlife and landscapes.

The awards are said to highlight the ‘new’ contract between society and farmers, in which farmers supply public goods and services.

A winner and runner up will be chosen in August from each of England’s nine regions by a regional judging panel made up of Natural England specialists and representatives from the farming industry. A national panel will then select the overall winner and runner up, to be announced at a special event this autumn.

The criteria used for judging this year’s award will reflect Natural England’s integrated approach to management of the natural environment, according to the organisation.

Entrants will need to demonstrate first-rate land management practices that boost biodiversity, public access opportunities and landscape conservation; a good understanding of the economic, social and environmental; opportunities that biodiversity, public access and landscape conservation brings; and pioneering management of the natural environment in one of access, biodiversity or landscape that sets a new standard for the future.

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