Pioneering agri-environment scheme brings over 70% of common land in Wales under sustainable managemen

A ground-breaking co-operative agri-environment scheme, launched in 2011 to pay farmers and graziers on common land to deliver environmental services, has secured the sustainable management over 70% of the common land in Wales.

Glastir Commons now has over 100,000ha of common land being managed in a sustainable manner, leading not only to better environmental outcomes, but also benefits for farming and additional spending in local communities.

An independent evaluation of the project has found that a key part of the scheme’s success was the Welsh Government’s decision to fund three LEADER groups, with a team of 18 Commons Development Officers across Wales to act as facilitators between the Welsh Government and local farmers.

The Glastir Commons scheme has enabled the groups formed to help themselves and have given them expertise to access government funding as community-based groups.

A major plus of participation in the scheme has been that graziers now realise that there are greater benefits to be gained from working together as a Grazing Association, beyond just gathering sheep. The Glastir Commons scheme has formalised these arrangements, which will stand them in good stead for the future when other opportunities may arise to co-operate with each other.

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