Statistical data set: Agri-environment indicators

These indicators monitor agricultural and environmental change in England and are updated as new information becomes available. The date of the last update for each indicator is shown in brackets after the indicator’s title.

The indicators are based on proposals from an Environmental Monitoring Baseline Project undertaken in 2006. Each indicator comprises a summary of the basic information and data, along with supporting information on the background and relevance to the framework and statistical and technical details on methodology and data sources. The indicators are divided into four groups. For each group there is an associated spreadsheet that provides the data underlying the charts.

A) Mechanisms

This includes indicators of mechanisms through which the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform provisions, and other drivers such as market conditions, determine the economic environment in which farm businesses operate.

• A1 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) registrations (May 2010) (PDF, 42KB, 4 pages)
• A2 Value of subsidies (August 2013) (PDF, 129KB, 4 pages)
• A3 Farms in agri-environment schemes (August 2013) (PDF, 132KB, 4 pages)
• A4 Input costs (August 2013) (PDF, 125KB, 4 pages)
• A5 Product prices (August 2013) (PDF, 130KB, 5 pages)
• A Chart data (August 2013) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 212KB)

B) Processes: Farm Business

Changes in income and costs affects the viability of the farm business, and hence decisions about changing farm structures and management practices. These indicators allow the monitoring of changes in the structure of the agricultural industry as it responds to policy and market signals.

• B1 Holding size (October 2013) (PDF, 207KB, 6 pages)
• B2 Farm type (October 2013) (PDF, 171KB, 8 pages)
• B3 Farm sales (no information available)
• B4 Land prices (no information available)
• B5 Average rents (March 2013) (PDF, 171KB, 6 pages)
• B6 Farm income (December 2013) (PDF, 146KB, 6 pages)
• B7 Indebtedness (October 2013) (PDF, 124KB, 4 pages)
• B8 Diversification (January 2013) (PDF, 140KB, 6 pages)
• B9 Labour profiles (October 2013) (PDF, 491KB, 7 pages)
• B10 Contracting costs (February 2013) (PDF, 114KB, 4 pages)
• B11 Crop and milk yields (June 2013) (PDF, 145KB, 5 pages)
• B12 Livestock numbers (October 2013) (PDF, 191KB, 7 pages)
• B Chart data (December 2013) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.39MB)

C) Processes: Farm Management

These indicators reflect the everyday decisions involved in managing crops and livestock, which may also have implications for the environment. These might be changes in type of crops grown, the level of inputs, or stocking rate and grazing pattern for livestock.

• C1 Number and area of organic farms (August 2013) (PDF, 136KB, 4 pages)
• C2 Agricultural land use (October 2013) (PDF, 634KB, 10 pages)
• C3 Pesticide use (January 2012) (PDF, 135KB, 4 pages)
• C4 Fertiliser use (May 2013) (PDF, 138KB, 5 pages)
• C5 Pests and diseases in wheat and rape (no information available)
• C6 Populations of weed species (no information available)
• C Chart data (October 2013) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 405KB)

D) Environmental Impacts

Changes in farm practices are likely to affect a range of environmental variables, including water (DA), soil (DB), air quality (DC), biodiversity (DE) and landscape (DF). These indicators provide information on key environmental variables of policy and public interest.

• DA1 Biological quality of rivers (February 2012) (PDF, 139KB, 4 pages)
• DA2 Chemical quality of rivers (February 2012) (PDF, 135KB, 4 pages)
• DA3 N and P levels in rivers (February 2012) (PDF, 174KB, 7 pages)
• DA4 Pesticides in water (February 2012) (PDF, 121KB, 5 pages)
• DA5 Water abstraction for agriculture (January 2013) (PDF, 129KB, 5 pages)
• DB1 Soil phospate (no information available)
• DC1 Ammonia emissions from agriculture (May 2013) (PDF, 133KB, 4 pages)
• DD1 Methane emissions from agriculture (February 2013) (PDF, 129KB, 4 pages)
• DD2 Nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture (February 2013) (PDF, 128KB, 4 pages)
• DD3 Energy derived from agricultural biomass (August 2013) (PDF, 116KB, 2 pages)
• DE1 Status of farmland BAP habitats (January 2013) (PDF, 163KB, 4 pages)
• DE2 Status of farmland BAP priority species (June 2012) (PDF, 175KB, 4 pages)
• DE3 Trends in populations of pipistrelles (June 2013) (PDF, 109KB, 3 pages)
• DE4 Trends in populations of brown hares (October 2013) (PDF, 130KB, 3 pages)
• DE5 Trends in populations of farmland birds (December 2012) (PDF, 158KB, 7 pages)
• DE6 Trends in populations of farmland butterflies (June 2012) (PDF, 130KB, 3 pages)
• DE7 Plant diversity in the wider countryside (January 2012) (PDF, 120KB, 2 pages)
• DE8 SSSI condition (December 2013) (PDF, 130KB, 4 pages)
• DE9 Cover abundance of common plants (no information available)
• DF1 Landscape features (October 2009) (PDF, 36.4KB, 3 pages)
• DF2 New woodland planting (October 2013) (PDF, 115KB, 2 pages)
• DF3 Landscape change (December 2012) (PDF, 172KB, 4 pages)
• D Chart data (December 2013) (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.05MB)