FLOW – Fairwood LEADER-funded Outcome-based Work

This project aims to work closely with graziers, the community and NRW to produce fully tested and costed results based payment proposal specifically for Fairwood Common. Fairwood supports internationally important biodiversity, has been grazed traditionally for centuries and is potentially a valuable component of farm incomes. It is, however, subject to major challenges, where conventional agricultural support schemes have yet to achieve significant results. 

The output from the project will be a scheme design which graziers view as flexible, workable and worthwhile and which, in absence of relevant support from forthcoming Sustainable Farming Scheme, could be implemented through management agreements via NRW and inform other such agreements within Swansea and beyond.

Fairwood Common needs active management, principally through grazing, to prevent changes in vegetation that would lead to the reduction of grazing value, biodiversity loss, increased fire risk, loss of recreation/landscape value. Such management has been difficult to achieve due to a range of issues; not least of which are the challenges posed by TB regulations and roadkill. Current payment schemes have not proved to be a sufficient incentive to encourage management due to their restrictive format.

Results-based schemes/payments could however, offer an attractive alternative with no commitment to any specific management activity and thus allows a high degree of flexibility. Working in collaboration with Gower Commoners’ Association, our aim is to create a sufficiently attractive results-based scheme so graziers feel it is worth forming an association to start negotiations on a management agreement with NRW/Welsh Government. The scheme we develop would be fully costed and fit for purpose to be adopted as the basis of a management agreement. 

Key Aims & Objectives:

• Field test scorecards with graziers/NRW using/refining full methodology
• Produce workable budgeted payments approach which is consistent with NRW needs
• Engage with commoners on approach and identify complementary funding necessary
• Facilitate provision of independent advice on association formation with commoners with as necessary
• Host a least one meeting of policymakers on Fairwood
• Produce an ‘operational instruction’ or manual for the scheme
• Produce report, at least one YouTube video, publicise work locally and on social media.

Objective 1: Improved management of this important common for the benefit of the whole community.

Objective 2: The project will contribute directly to developing an innovative solution to the climate and nature emergency through the more effective support of sustainable land management on an internationally important site.

Objective 3: This project will lay the foundations for an increase in grass fed animal production on the common.

Objective 4: Meat produced on the common will be of high quality and can be processed and sold locally, shortening the supply chain.

Objective 5: The project will contribute to the resilience and capacity of the grazier community on Fairwood.  The methodology employed by the project is designed to empower graziers to take the key decisions with respect to land and livestock management, ensuring positive results and access to funding. 

Objective 6: This project will provide a system aimed at reducing fire load on the common through grazing so reducing cutting and the associated fuel consumption and large volumes of vegetation waste.

Flow Fairwood Report

[.PDF, 4.64 MB]