Cywain Environment
CamNesa was commissioned to evaluate the deliverables of the Cywain Environment pilot project with 17 farmer groups throughout Wales funded through the Rural Development Plan – Supply Chain Efficiencies Programme.
The core elements of the project were to work with and evaluate the development of farmer led groups, coached by trained facilitators to work towards the development of projects with environmental benefits, from inception through to final planning and delivery.
In summary, our recommendations were:
- To continue the work of Cywain Environment to facilitate small scale farmer led collaboration
- To integrate this into existing frameworks:
- Welsh Government PES Practitioner Group
- Farming Connect
- Welsh Government’s Innovation offer
- Academia programmes supported by Welsh Government
- To investigate the development of European Innovation Partnership Operation Groups supporting environmental aims within the new Farming Connect Programme
- For Natural Resources Wales to consider dedicated account management for progressive groups
- To establish a supporting knowledge base as per the Cascade Report recommendation to support Cywain Environment activity
- For Welsh Government to agree a clear communication strategy and message with regard to PES and the status of the Nature Fund moving forward
- To establish a dedicated small scale seed fund to support the development of projects where required.
