Nature-friendly farming scheme boosts insect and bird numbers

Butterflies, bees and bats are among the wildlife being helped by England's nature-friendly farming schemes, government research finds.

- Helena Horton

Bird numbers were particularly boosted, especially those that largely feed on invertebrates. An average of 25% more breeding birds were found in areas with more agri-environment schemes.

The peer-reviewed study by Natural England, the government advisory body, also said that a shift away from meat consumption would be required if agriculture in England were to cut greenhouse gas emissions since more land would need to be used for nature and carbon storage.

"Under the most ambitious climate change mitigation scenario, food production is expected to decline by up to 25%," the report reads. "Ambitious combinations of measures including reducing food waste, using arable land to grow crops for direct human consumption rather than for livestock feed (thus implying dietary change), and increased productivity on remaining farmland, could fully mitigate expected reductions in food production."