This research consisted of a comprehensive appraisal of farming regulation and its implementation in England, assessing how effectively current regulatory frameworks support the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. The work focused on regulations governing farmers and landowners, complementing the Office for Environmental Protection’s previous appraisals of voluntary Agri Environment Schemes.
The project delivered a critical evaluation of the regulatory landscape through three key components. First, a full categorisation of farming activities in England based on their baseline environmental risks. Second, an assessment of the coverage and relevance of existing legislation, analysing how effectively current laws and regulations address and mitigate these baseline risks. Third, a summary of the implementation of the most environmentally significant regulations, highlighting how monitoring and enforcement influence progress towards environmental protection and enhancement.
Note - The report has been completed and will be published on this page shortly.
Disclaimer
ICF (supported by ADAS) were commissioned by the Office for Environmental Protection to critically appraise farming regulation and its implementation in England, assessing how effectively current regulatory frameworks support the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. The views provided in this report are those of ICF and do not represent the opinion or position of the OEP. Some of the analysis in this report was used to inform the OEP’s report Progress in improving the natural environment in England 2024/2025.