Future Farming Programme

Often thought of as simply ‘shutting the gate’ on a piece of land, farming consultant Jim Bliss explains why rewilding requires an active approach in the UK, while regenerative agronomist Hugo Ellis describes it as driving for balance and diversity in habitats and farm enterprises. And livestock, they say, are essential. On his Nuffield travels, Jim Bliss saw some spectacular examples of what he calls ‘passive’ rewilding, where stock had been removed from the land and nature returned – Patagonia National Park being one. But the UK doesn’t have the space to take this approach. “So, it's much better to have active rewilding, which does involve farming, just in a more nuanced way, where it's all about diversity,” says Jim.