Ffermio Bro: Locally led actions deliver nature recovery

Welsh farmers will benefit from a £6.5 million funding boost after the Ffermio Bro scheme delivered remarkable results in its first year. 

Working in collaboration with Designated Landscape bodies across Wales's National Parks and National Landscapes — which cover 25% of Wales —the scheme has already delivered remarkable impact since launching in May 2025. With close to £2m allocated, the vast majority as direct support to farmers, it has supported nature recovery across more than 10,000 hectares of Welsh land. 

The Welsh Government has confirmed £6.5 million for 2026–28, with £5.5 million going directly to farmers to carry out on-farm projects. The funding will also enable Designated Landscape bodies to recruit additional staff, carry out ecological surveys, and provide training and advisory support. 

Ffermio Bro places collaboration at its heart — groups of farmers working together to deliver change at a scale individual action cannot achieve. It invests in our most special landscapes and is important in helping shape the collaborative layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme.  

During its first year, more than 100,000 trees have been planted, over 37km of hedgerow planted or restored, and 6km of stone walls repaired or built. Important habitats such as ancient woodlands, ffridd, and riverside corridors, and iconic species including curlew, adder, dormouse and otter are now better protected thanks to the commitment of farmers and the Ffermio Bro teams working alongside them 

In Eryri National Park, seven farmers in the Bro Machno group are using natural flood management techniques to reduce flood risk, restore wetland habitats, and support sustainable land management across the Dyffryn Conwy catchment. 

Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change & Rural Affairs, said: "Ffermio Bro's first year has demonstrated the power of locally led action to support nature-friendly farming when farmers and Designated Landscapes work together with a shared vision. We extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the scheme's exceptional progress in 2025/26 and look forward to building on this momentum in the years ahead." 

Hefin Jones, who farms at Tyddyn Gethin, Bro Machno, said: "My experience of Ffermio Bro this year has been a positive one. I can see the agricultural and environmental benefits of the project work carried out on our farm. Through discussion and developing a joint plan, we've been able to support both the farm system and the environment. The key strength for us has been the one-to-one relationship." 

Awel Jones, Ffermio Bro Adviser, Eryri National Park Authority, said: "Working on Ffermio Bro — for example with the Bro Machno group — has shown how coordinated, catchment-wide action can deliver real results. Our projects here are improving water quality, slowing the flow, and creating space for nature to thrive. They're also helping farmers by reducing runoff risks and supporting more sustainable land management. As the local Ffermio Bro Advisor for North East Eryri, I'm proud to have played a part in bringing this together." 

Farmers across Wales's National Parks and National Landscapes are encouraged to contact their local Designated Landscape body to explore how they can support nature on their land. 

More information is available at Ffermio Bro - Landscapes Wales 

Notes to editors

• Ffermio Bro integrates incentives for nature-friendly farming with the conservation objectives and track record of Designated Landscapes bodies. A wide range of projects will be eligible for funding provided they meet the Sustainable Land Management (SLM) objectives set out in The Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 (‘the Agriculture Act'), and the priorities of a Designated Landscape body's management plan 
• Each Designated Landscape body receives an allocation of funding depending on its size and capacity. Those bodies then work closely with farmers to develop proposals.  It uses specialist advisors within Designated Landscapes to coordinate projects. Designated Landscape Management Plans guide priorities at a landscape scale. Programme support is provided via Tirweddau Cymru - Landscape Wales (the National Designated Landscapes Partnership) in its role to support collaboration across our National Parks and National Landscapes. The partnership hosts a Ffermio Bro Programme Manager. 
• Ffermio Bro is a key element shaping the Collaborative Layer of the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). Ffermio Bro payment rates are aligned to those in the SFS. One of the successes of Ffermio Bro in its first year has been to engage new farmers, who have never applied for Welsh Government funding before.