Sustainable Farming Incentive

Forestry can be integrated with the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) through various practices which combine tree planting with agricultural activities.

This means that you could get a stable income from sustainable practices. Although it’s not the biggest payout, it is at least consistent. If you have a field that consistently makes a good return, this may not be for you, but if you have some patches of land (up to 25% of your farm) that are a bit hit or miss, then this could be a good option financially (though we would obviously push for it anyway as there are many environmental benefits).

Tree related SFI examples:

• Woodland Creation and Management: A farm can either create and manage, or mange existing woodland to promote biodiversity, sequester carbon, and generally improve climate resilience

• Silvoarable Systems: A form of agroforestry where a farm can introduce trees into arable fields to reduce soil erosion, help manage water, sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity and provide crop shelter

• Silvopastoral Systems: This type of agroforestry is when trees are introduced into livestock production and forage grassland. The trees can provide shelter for the livestock, sequester carbon, provide secondary food sources, and enhance biodiversity

Essentially, these three key ways of incorporating trees with the SFI will improve land, water and climate resilience and promote biodiversity whilst sequestering more carbon and improving productivity on the farm.

For more information, follow this link.