Attitudinal Survey to Evaluate the Implementation of Uplands Entry Level Stewardship
In December 2010, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) was commissioned by Defra and Natural England to undertake a study to evaluate upland farmers’ attitudes to the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship scheme which was introduced in July 2010. The study involved a telephone survey of a 1,000 upland farmers throughout England, including both Upland ELS participants and those without an agreement. The telephone survey was followed by 40 in-depth face-to-face interviews to explore in more detail the issues raised in the telephone survey. The objectives of the study were:
To assess the awareness of and attitudes towards Uplands ELS among farmers and land managers in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas.
To identify the factors affecting uptake of Uplands ELS in general and of particular options within the scheme.
To evaluate the effectiveness of targeted Uplands ELS advice and support.
To evaluate the above on the basis of: previous participation in an agri-environment scheme; region; farm type; tenancy/ownership and farm size.
The findings of the study will contribute to the evidence base required to monitor and evaluate the implementation of Upland ELS. Jane Mills is the project leader and she is assisted by Dr Peter Gaskell, Christopher Short, Dr Carol Kambites, Nick Lewis, Dr Michael Clark, (all CCRI), together with Nigel Boatman (Food & Environment Research Agency, FERA) and Will Manley (RAC). The research took place over four months.
