FWAG relaunch boost to farm conservation advice
A flagship farm conservation body has been relaunched a year after going into administration.
The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) Association was unveiled at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) Allerton Project Farm in Leicestershire.
Until its demise in 2011, FWAG was highly regarded for being a dedicated provider of environmental and conservation advice to farmers.
When the organisation entered into administration, it came as a big blow to farmers wishing to integrate environmental measures while keeping their farms profitable.
But a number of local, independent FWAG groups were formed by ex-FWAG staff and volunteers, who continued to deliver environmental management advice to farmers.
The new association brings together those groups, backed by farm-based environmental research from the GWCT.
Supported by the Linking Environment and Farming charity (LEAF), the association will offer comprehensive advice to farmers across 65% of the country’s land area.
It includes all counties in the South West, Herefordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Nottinghamshire. The area is expected to expand over a period of time.
Jim Egan, interim chairman of the new association, said: “It’s great to see a new FWAG Association emerging and going back to its roots on a local level.
“There is a real need for this type of organisation at a ground level. It has an important role to play in helping farmers with truly independent, trusted environmental advice.”
GWCT chief executive Teresa Dent said the organisation looked forward to providing science-based environmental training for all FWAG advisers.