Less Favoured Area (LFA) farmers and crofters - sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices: report

3.0 Conclusion

In this research we have investigated the opportunities and motivations for the uptake of specific sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices amongst Less Favoured Area (LFA) farmers and crofters. Four specific groups of practices were identified for assessment: carbon emissions reduction measures (including carbon audits, soil testing, and livestock efficiency measures); peatland restoration; tree planting and woodland natural regeneration; and, biodiversity measures (including permanent and temporary management practices).

Our results underline a need for diversified and locally adapted support policies for Less Favoured Areas (LFA). This is particularly important for enabling the adoption of sustainable and regenerative farming, as practices adapted for one specific area will not necessarily work for another.

• A reviewed and refined definition of LFAs (including an update of land capability) would assist in achieving these adaptive policies.
• Productivity criteria specifically adapted to LFAs would also be beneficial

Accordingly, this research confirms the first recommendation of British Ecological Society (2025) regarding the need to ensure flexibility of policy (rather than following prescriptive policies) to incorporate contextual knowledge farmers have.

Some participants highlighted that productivity criteria need to be adapted for LFA areas. LFA farmers and crofters are proud of their ability to adapt to difficult conditions, and see themselves as resilient. These farmers and crofters represent an important resource for adaptive innovations, practice and knowledge. Several of these individuals who participated in the study reported actively seeking to share their expertise with their neighbours; supporting further efforts in this direction could be valuable for influencing practice up-take at regional level.

New entrants and some of the larger-scale farmers in LFAs tend to drive changes through practices compatible with regenerative farming, while not identifying these as regenerative per se. Furthermore, although LFAs suffer from depopulation, there are also new entrants into farming and crofting. This research revealed that their motivations are not just financial, but that they were implementing practices based on self-motivation to address environmental, climate change and food system issues. The research shows that supports for crofting and regenerative farming may also contribute to addressing wider issues, including depopulation (in line with an agroecology approach). Depopulation is leading to loss of local knowledge, which impacts on knowledge availability, particularly of low impact practices, in remote regions.

The study also shows that beyond direct support, indirect supports to enable the relocalisation of food systems could be beneficial to the adoption of regenerative farming practices, as well as addressing depopulation. Participants underlined the need for the development of local markets and infrastructure (such as abattoirs) in line with recommendation of the British Ecological Society (2005) report regarding the need for shorter (local) and equitable supply chains (Recommendation 5 in the report).