Developing payment-by-results approaches for agri-environment schemes: Experience from an arable trial in England

There is increasing interest in the potential for payment-by-results approaches to be adopted more widely agri-environment schemes address some of limitations conventional action-based approaches. To date, researchers have almost exclusively applied approach grassland farming systems. This paper reports on results from an English, pure pilot scheme that tested delivery two environmental objectives: provision winter bird food farmland birds and pollen nectar resources pollinating insects arable systems, incorporated farmer self-assessments. The method employed assessment outcomes using experimental design, recording number plants/seed heads per quadrat specified species analysis farmers’ attitudes a qualitative survey. 15 farms revealed improved performance compared similar measures implemented under schemes. also high correlation self-assessment with expert assessments. Survey findings identified views advantages (flexibility freedom, fairness) disadvantages (risk failure non-payment) such approach.