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Agriculture, food, and land use

The broad mix of places and landscapes within the region, combined with leading research and strong business and environmental partners, mean that it can provide an excellent place based focus for a range of innovation trials which can extend knowledge and practice in decarbonisation of these areas of our economy, and in methods for stewardship of the environment.  

The North East’s current settlement pattern and mix of land use and natural capital is a distinctive place in the UK to drive forward reductions in climate gas emissions, whilst at the same time improving our economy and environment through: 

  • change in land management practice and land use 
  • sequestration of carbon through investment in natural assets – for example by improving the quality of the environment, and extending woodland 
  • ongoing support for the reduction of emission of carbon and methane in our land based industries 

  • improvement in the quality of the environment in our National Parks and other designated landscapes, and also in our network of settlements.

What the evidence tells us

Our evidence base shows 49% of North East LEP land is used for agriculture. Follow the link below to read our full evidence base. 

Explore the evidence

Partner think piece

Ian Brown, Director at Chestnut Natural Capital, explains how the North East’s rural economy is leading the way in sustainability and innovation.

Read the think piece

Our assets

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The North East contains many areas of environmental importance with a range of protected landscapes and networks of natural assets. The Northumberland National Park and our two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are the largest and most high profile of these areas. Almost 32% of the area of the North East LEP is within the National Park or one of the AONBs.

Northumberland Coast AONB

This covers about 40 miles of the coastline as well as Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands. It makes up 2.6% of Northumberland's total area and about 1.7% of the North East LEP area

Northumberland National Park

Designated in 1956, this is the most sparsely populated English National Park. It is entirely within Northumberland and makes up about 13% of the North East LEP area and about 21% of the area of Northumberland.

North Pennines AONB

This is the second largest AONB in England and is also a UNESCO global geopark. About two thirds of it is in the North East, with most of the rest in Cumbria. It makes up 39% of the area of County Durham, about 9% of Northumberland's area and about 17% of the total North East LEP area.

Other protected landscapes and environmental networks

As well as the AONBs and National Park, the North East also includes:

National Nature Reserves

There are 15 in the North East, all within either Northumberland or County Durham. These are established to protect important habitats, species and geology. 

Ramsar wetland areas

The North East has five of these internationally designated important wetlands, the largest covering Lindisfarne.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

There are over 230 nationally designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the North East, across all seven local authority areas.

Local Nature Reserves

There are almost 100 North East LNRs, designated by local authorities, with wildlife or geological features that are of special interest locally.

Newly established forests

The Government has designated the Great Northumberland Forest and the North East Community Forest, which are creating a renewed focus on forestry.

Land based industries

The North East has established land based sectors including upland and lowland farming, and an established food and drink production sector. These areas and sectors support a wider rural economy which includes key parts of the supply chain such as food processing, energy and logistics. They create the environment for the visitor economy, which is established, but also has significant opportunities for growth and enhanced value. 

Agriculture and fishing

  • North East agriculture and fishing
  • 6.0% of England’s total farmed area
  • 3.6% of England’s agricultural holdings
  • Agriculture employs over 9,000 people (3% of the England total)
  • 12% of the sheep and lambs, 4.3% of the cattle and 4.2% of the horses in England
  • 5.6% of England’s fishing and aquaculture enterprises

Food and drink manufacture

  • 280 enterprises employing 7,500 people
  • A net increase of 70 enterprises since 2015 
  • 2,500 employed in bread, pastry and cake manufacture (4.5% of England’s total)
  • Recent years have seen growth in organic and plant based food with North East brands adding exporting strength to a strong regionally focused food sector.

Forestry

  • 125 enterprises employing 500 people
  • 4.4% of England’s employment in silviculture and other forestry activities
  • 4.5% of England’s logging enterprises
  • North East sawmills, such as Taylormade in Durham and A&J Scott at Wooler, have recently invested in land, new production lines and treatment capacity on the back of this positive outlook for the sector.

Coastal and rural assets sit alongside the city-based and heritage assets, underpinning a North East visitor economy of almost £4.5 billion, about 6.7% of the spend in England outside of London. However, the region is more reliant on domestic day visitors, who provided 74% of the expenditure, compared to 62% in England excluding London, and needs to strengthen its national and international offer to reach its potential, addressing the carbon impacts as part of this growth.

Opportunities

  • Support a thriving countryside that provides locally produced, seasonal food that is enjoyed locally, nationally and globally, but also looks retains and supports the unique landscapes and species. Farmers and land managers manage around 73% of total land in the North East, so we are well place to deliver collaboratively for the environment and climate. 
  • Land-use economics are favourable in the region, with opportunities in relation to forestry, biomass, wood production and processing and availability of land for woodland creation. This has been recognised by Government with the designation of Great Northumberland Forest and North East Community Forest.
  • Demand for timber is likely to increase as the World Bank estimates global demand will increase by 4% per year for next 30 – 40, presenting an opportunity grow more in the North East and secure economic and environment benefits. 
  • Supporting and encouraging upland farm management and wildlife restoration to promote nature recovery which can sequestrate carbon, including through extension of native woodland cover and regenerative and low impact agricultural practices. 
  • Urban farming opportunity with local food production expanding and showing possibilities of hydroponics and other innovative farming methods through the creation urban demonstrator sites.  
  • Visitor economy strengthening the visitor economy, by attracting higher value visitors to the range of assets in the region, and increasing incomes and investment
  • Accelerating carbon sequestration strategies across the regional economy, and attracting innovation investment into a range of research projects and trials using our diverse landscapes
  • Strengthened engagement with wider regional economy there are opportunities to strengthen economic and environmental links between different parts of the region which require co-ordination and investment support. Examples include digital connectivity, transport links and natural corridors

Challenges

  • Uncertainty of how the policy environment is going to evolve, with concerns that if new environmentally oriented schemes replacing agricultural schemes prove problematic, then farmers may choose to focus on intensification of their farming practices or choose not to invest in their businesses. 
  • Continuing strengthening of national support to regional needs, the North East has a very distinctive economic footprint and landscape and needs to ensure that national policy is attuned to these characteristics through planning and investment tools. 
  • Co-ordination and prioritization challenges which involve balancing the objectives for food production, environmental protection and the visitor economy and to ensure the sustainability of farming and other land businesses as the region accelerates de-carbonisation. Key individuals such as Land Owners, need to be convinced of the immediate and wider benefits of changing practices or land use.
  • Land sectors face skills gaps within the permanent and seasonal workforce, particularly in farming. This instability is impacting on the viability of driving new knowledge about these issues and behavioural changes into the sector beyond the demonstrators and early adopters.
  • Regulatory changes and unceratinty there are a number of changes to regulation in areas like exporting, habitats regulation, carbon sequestration, and land management which have happened, or may happen as a result of policy, for which businesses will need advice and support 

What we are doing already

We’ve got some great examples in this space of how we are accelerating the reduction of emissions in the rural economy, protecting and enhancing the natural environment to capture carbon and developing strategy’s in urban, industrial areas to mitigate carbon and looking at investments in  local green spaces and offsetting schemes. Find out about some of these below.