Like many others, The Exmoor Society is deeply concerned by a recent decision by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to withdraw the proposed species-rich grassland option (GRH6) from the Sustainable Farming Incentive, due to reopen in June.
The GRH6 option offered a significant financial incentive for farmers and landowners to protect and restore species-rich grasslands—one of the UK’s most fragile and biodiverse habitats. Across Exmoor, many farmers had already begun adapting their grassland management to access this funding.
Defra has cited low initial uptake as the reason for removing the option. However, The Exmoor Society and others have highlighted that this reflects the rarity and fragmented nature of species-rich grasslands, as well as the administrative barriers involved. In particular, eligibility required prior classification as Priority Habitat by Natural England—a process that is both time-consuming and resource-intensive.
We have raised concerns to Defra that removing GRH6 will undermine efforts to safeguard and restore these vital habitats. Without accessible support, there is a real risk that remaining species-rich grasslands could be lost or further degraded. While Defra has indicated that similar support may exist under Higher Tier Stewardship, this route is significantly more complex and far less accessible to many farmers.
