General enquiries on this form should be made to:
Defra, Science Directorate, Management Support and Finance Team
Telephone No.020 7238 1612
SID 1
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ROAME Statement

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General notes

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1.The first stage of the ROAME (Rationale, Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation) process requires a clear and succinct statement of the commissioning organisation’s rationale for funding research. The SID 1provides the customer’s reasons for requiring research in a particular policy area and the policy and scientific objectives of that research. It forms the basis for all research proposals and is vital to ensure overall direction and ultimate evaluation of the research programme.

2.The level at which the SID 1 statement is set is for the policy customer to decide. Each Programme should focus on one or more related policy objectives and the related scientific objective(s). However, policy customers may wish to set SID 1 statements at a higher level, e.g. where a large research programme addresses similar policy and scientific objectives.

3.The SID 1 is an important working document, which stems from and supports Defra’s Evidence and Innovation Strategy. All SID 1s will be published and used to inform contractors and other funders of research of the rationale and key policy drivers underpinning Defra’s research programmes.

4.A SID 1 must be produced for each research programme. It should be approved at Director level, or at a lower level only through formal delegation of authority. Science Units within Defra are responsible for ensuring that all research is commissioned and contracted under a SID 1 which complies with this guidance. A SID 1 should typically be no more than 5-6 pages long, although this can vary depending on the complexity and size of the programmes covered.

5.SID 1s should be reviewed every 3-5 years. If new or revised forms are produced (for example, following a review), these should annex the original form to provide a historical record of programme change. Please refer to the Science Handbook for further guidance.

6.This form is in Word format and the boxes may be expanded, or reduced, as appropriate.

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/ 1. Area of Policy/Research

Please state the title of the proposed research programme – including FPS Programme Code Assessment Unit or Sub-Programme Code.

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IF01 Integrated Farming Systems

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/ 2. RATIONALE for Defra Funding

(a)Describe the policy problems to be addressed by this research.

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The Defra Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food outlined the aim of a competitive and efficient farming and food sector which protects and enhances our countryside and wider environment and contributes to the health and prosperity of all our communities. Sustainable development of agriculture (including arable, horticulture and livestock farming) faces challenges across three elements: economics, environment and social. Key considerations include the production of safe, healthy products in response to market demand; farming systems that support sustainable land management and a viable, diverse rural economy; and consistently high standards of environmental performance avoiding impacts on natural resources (particularly soil, water and biodiversity). A farming system comprises a complex of interrelated and interacting factors. An isolated study of a part of the system will not provide adequate understanding of the behaviour of the entire system and the interactions may be equally or more important than the components. There is therefore a requirement for the development of integrated approaches and practices to change these farming systems or help them adapt in ways that eliminate or reduce the negative impacts of production without unduly affecting economic viability of the farm enterprise. Research is necessary to underpin improved understanding of the interacting components and devise innovative solutions or utilise new technologies to balance environmental concerns with production, market and social requirements. There is likely to be limited private sector investment in knowledge and technologies that would help farmers, growers and land managers deliver the environmental benefits that Defra seeks or more prudent use of natural and non-renewable resources.
Research can contribute in a number of potential ways: greater efficiency of resource use, particularly in relation to fertilisers or manures, water and pesticides,will contribute to meeting international and domestic targets; improved varieties of crops or livestock for relevant genetic traits, for use as a component of an integrated system, can similarly reduce inputs, diffuse pollution or effects on habits, fauna or flora; future diversity of cropping and greater integration of crop and livestock production chains could have similar biodiversity benefits; soundly based forecasts, thresholds and decision support systems will assist on-farm decision making, better equipping farmers to manage their own risks while contributing to Defra’s environmental aims; management of crops, including for new bioenergy markets, and field margins or adjacent areas as part of integrated production systems,can encourage species that are food items for farmland bird populations or the natural enemies of pests.

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(b)Explain how the research will support Defra Strategic Priorities, PSA targets and Evidence and Innovation Strategy.

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The research will contribute to a number of Defra Strategic Priorities:
  • Sustainable Farming and Food – by ensuring farmers, growers and land managers have the tools to enable them to contribute to an environmentally and economically sustainable food supply chain and increasingly be able to manage their own risks.
  • Protecting the Countryside and Natural Resource Protection – by contributing to conservation management and enhancement of ecosystems and ecosystem services.
  • Sustainable Consumption and Production – by reducing the impact of primary production on the environment and energy use.
The research primarily supports two of Defra’s PSA targets:
  • PSA 5. Deliver more customer-focused, competitive and sustainable farming and food industries.
  • PSA 3. Care for our natural heritage, make the countryside attractive and enjoyable for all and preserve biological diversity.
The research underpins the delivery of the Evidence and Innovation Strategy priorities relating to Sustainable Farming and Food.

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(c)Explain how this research will be co-ordinated with other Defra science and policy activity. This should cover co-ordination with other Defra research programmes, including economic, social science and the Horizon Scanning Programme and other Defra science activity, e.g. monitoring and surveillance programmes.

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This research will be co-ordinated with relevant Defra policy through the Sustainable Farming Systems and Biodiversity R&D Programme Management Group which includes representatives from the Sustainable Farming and Food, LivingLand and Seas and Environment Directorates General and through wider collaboration with Defra science activities. Liaison at sub-programme level will include:
  • SFFSD Water Quality and Use in Agriculture R&D Programme
  • SFFSD Agriculture and Climate Change R&D Programme
  • SFFSD Food Safety, Food Chain, Consumer R&D Programme
  • LivingLand and Seas Science Division
  • Nutrient Management Unit
  • Sustainable Agricultural Strategy Division
  • Soils Unit
  • Pesticides Safety Division
  • Agri-Environment Schemes

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(d)Explain how the proposed programme will align with the work of other Departments
and funders of research. This should cover UK funders and, where possible or appropriate, funders in other countries or international bodies; whether co-ordination is needed or foreseen and, if so, how and when such co-ordination or collaboration should take place.

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The research draws on the research base provided by the Research Councils, particularly the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and their joint initiatives such as the RELU Programme.
Individual projects will align and be co-ordinated with relevant work funded by:
  • SEERAD
  • Natural England
  • Environment Agency
  • EU Programmes
  • UK Levy Bodies, individually and through the Applied Research Forum
  • Other industry and NGO research interests, including through LINK
Also via an annual meeting with stakeholders of SFFSD’s R&D Programmes.
Project teams also required or encouraged to collaborate with other researchers.

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(e)Provide a brief summary as to why Defra should fund the proposed research. You are required to justify the use of Defra resources for the proposed project. In your justification you should clearly set out that no other existing or current research or body of information meets the policy needs; why R&D is the most suitable method to provide evidence; and the intended outcome of the programme.

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The programme is seeking to identify and enhance public benefits to landscape and biodiversity and reduce adverse impacts on these and from diffuse pollution resulting from current farming systems and practices. Defra funding is justified because research that will reduce the negative environmental footprint of farming and encourage the more prudent use of natural and non-renewable resources will not be funded by the private sector on its own. These aims might be achieved in part by greater regulatory control of farming or the use of fiscal instruments to force a change in behaviour but at the cost of additional financial and bureaucratic burdens on farmers and land managers, potentially jeopardising the viability of farm businesses. This research will however provide evidence and information to Defra to help inform policy development and the tools and options to encourage adoption of the best integrated practices for delivering these environmental aims as part of commercially viable farming systems. In some cases and usually by building further on this research, where joint environmental and commercial benefits can result, industry becomes involved through collaborative research such as LINK (attracting 50% government sponsorship), and in facilitating technology transfer to farming sectors.

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/ 3. OBJECTIVES

(a)State policy objectives which should be:

  • achievable;
  • testable (i.e. in a form capable of verification, preferably in a quantitative fashion); and
  • time-bound (i.e. to be reached at a pre-determined date).

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To develop new integrated approaches to farming systems which are inherently more environmentally and economically sustainable and help reduce the environmental and carbon footprints of our food production and consumption.

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/ 3. OBJECTIVES continued

(b)State scientific objectives which must be achievable, verifiable and timebound.

Science staff must decide where research can contribute to the achievement of policy objectives and agree with Policy DGs scientific objectives appropriate to meet the policy need. They should also cover the key deliverables against which the success of the programme will be judged at review:

  • anticipated contribution to Defra policy development (i.e. to inform change of policy);
  • other outputs, such as new or refined industry practices/standards;
  • planned processes for Knowledge Transfer and Innovation and communication to the public.

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To provide evidence, knowledge and understanding to support future policy development and devise and validate technologies that seek to be multifunctional in integrating natural processes, controls and cycles and conserving or enhancing biodiversity in the farmed environment.
  1. To update and extend the evidence base supporting whole-farm integrated approaches to the management of farming systems, determine their potential contribution to theachievement of Defra environmental aims and encourage their greater practical uptake.
  2. To examine the impact of specific new changes in land use and management on functional biodiversity and other ecosystem services by extending existing understanding on crops (particularly potential new biomass energy crops) and cropping systems at the field scale. In addition to work supplementing a current joint Research Council RELU project on biomass crops, a preliminary study on the use of ecosystem scale simulation models for the prediction of impacts of changes in farming systems and land management on biodiversity will inform the future programme.
  3. To utilise information and analyses from the Countryside Survey, Agricultural Change and Environment Observatory and other long-termdatasets to improve consideration of how farming practices and systems affect the vegetation, soils, biodiversity and landscape features associated with farmed land and potential changes e.g. in relation to climate or agronomic developments.
  4. To improve the environmental management and sustainability of low input multifunctional livestock grazing systems. Future programme objectives will be informed by a review of recently completed grassland research relevant to ecological considerations conducted in 2006.
  5. To reduce crop protection practice impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, develop integrated pest/crop management measures compatible with environmental protection and resource use efficiency and encourage their adoption by farmers and growers.
  6. To underpin the genetic improvement of crops and livestock to reduce the environmental footprint of food production and consumption, through the encouragement of co-ordinationof public and private sector pre-breeding researchand provision of appropriate genetic resources, expertise and information. The crop research will feed into Defra Plant Varieties and Seeds’ considerations of how to facilitate breeders’ production of varieties with positive environmental characteristics and their uptake. Future programme objectives in this area will be informed by a review of the rationale for Defra investment in crop and livestock genetics being conducted in 2006.
  7. To consolidate the evidence base and understanding of the nitrogen cycle and other nutrients and crop responses within farming systems. In the first instance, the priority (for 2006-08) is update or replacement of current RB209 fertilser recommendations to support further consideration of how best to reconcile farming requirements and environmental regulations.
  8. To continue the development of farm and farm enterprisebased decision-support by building on previous work to provide technology that, once widely available and delivered effectively, would reduce adverse environmental impacts and protect natural resources.
  9. To develop a framework for prioritising investment in R&D addressing sustainable Food and Farming requirements.

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/ 4. APPRAISAL

Explain your plans to ensure that you obtain fit for purpose research under this programme and value for money for the taxpayer. In particular, how will you ensure expert external input and challenge (e.g, through advice from expert groups/committees; peer review of project proposals; and level of competitively let contracts) are taken into account.

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The guidelines for peer review and competition set out in the Science Handbook will be followed. It is anticipated that major medium to long-term studies proposed will be subject to peer review and that significant new work will normally be let by competition. That part of the programme that clearly builds on previous research investment will be considered case by case taking into account implications for the research base and issues relating to timing, intellectual property and research collaboration.

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/ 5. MONITORING

Please explain how you plan to monitor progress against programme and project objectives, in particular any key programme review points.

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The guidelines for project monitoring set out in the Science Handbook will be followed. SFFSD project officers will monitor projects through annual reports and personal contact, visiting a project at least once during its lifetime or more frequently depending on interim assessments of progress and risk. Programmes are normally reviewed on a four year cycle, i.e. the programme will be subject to a first Science Review in 2009/10.

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/ 6. EVALUATION

Please specify how you intend to evaluate the outputs of the programme against its objectives, ensuring appropriate external input and challenge. This should also include an assessment of the future of the programme.

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Outputs of projects and programme are subject to ongoing evaluation with respect to contribution to individual policy customers’ requirements. A more detailed “policy review” is conducted in tandem with the science review.

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This research programme will be reviewed by (insert year) / 2009
Approved by / Date
Name / Unit

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