The socio-economic effects of the Countryside Stewardship scheme

The Countryside Stewardship Scheme was launched by the Countryside commission in 1991 and before its transfer to the Ministry of Agriculture in April 1996, underwent a socio-economic evaluation. This study looked at the impact on income and employment both on the farm and in the wider local and national context, using a stratified sample survey in conjunction with national and regional input-output models. Case study areas were chosen in Norfolk, Devon and Derbyshire, and by interviewing local businesses, and analysing farm accounts, a clearer picture of the spatial distribution of income and employment effects was obtained. In overview, the quantitative effect of the scheme on income and employment appears negligible on mildly positive: however, there are marked distributional effects. The negative impact is most likely to be dissipated in larger urban centres and among capital-intensive agricultural supply and food industries, while the positive effects tend to be concentrated in rural areas.