Cumbria

Cumbria is home to the earliest LENs trading community, where an initial unilateral trade took place between United Utilities and land holders along Cathwaite Beck, Cumbria. In 2019, the first large-scale Cumbria LENs trade resulted in the parallel procurement of nature-based solutions for soil and nutrient management, such as reduced phosphorus usage, as well as creating bounded habitats. With a trade value of over £700k, Nestlé and United Utilities co-funded nature-based solutions delivered by farmers in the Peterril catchment, coordinated by First Milk. This trade delivered multiple landscape and business benefits: it created an alternative income source for farmers, contributed to lower levels of phosphorus in water courses managed by United Utilities, and strengthened the resilience of Nestlé’s dairy supply.

A major four-year research programme was organised by the Global Food Alliance consortium, monitoring and analysing the inception and development of Cumbria LENs and this concluded in 2022.

Work to develop further trades has since been funded from the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) and the Cumbria innovative flood resilience (CiFR) programme. Work has been focused on engaging with private businesses and supporting trade discussions, focused on co-funding natural flood management (NFM) solutions that meet the needs of the CiFR project and regional businesses, as well as delivering a range of additional environmental benefits, such as nutrient management, improved biodiversity and soil health.