Wales

Developing Wales’ first LENs

West Wales (encompassing Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire) is a powerhouse of Welsh agriculture. Thanks to the region’s high rainfall and mild coastal areas, it is uniquely suited to dairy and beef production and specialist crops like Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes.

At the same time, West Wales is home to some of the most ecologically significant landscapes in Wales: the Cleddau, Teifi, and Tywi are designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The Cleddau in particular is a key site for Atlantic salmon, sea lamprey, and otters; its gravel beds and saltmarshes support rare aquatic flora and diverse wildlife that make it a critical focus for ecological research and strict nutrient management.

A pilot LENs was launched in Pembrokeshire in 2025, funded by Puffin Produce and Pembrokeshire Creamery, with additional seed funding from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. Following a successful pilot, LENs was officially launched in Wales in 2026 across a mixture of dairy and potato farms, with a funding commitment from Puffin Produce and Pembrokeshire Creamery.

LENs Wales brings together local stakeholders with diverse commercial needs in the landscape that would be difficult to achieve in isolation. Through collaborative funding and partnerships with farmers, LENs Wales implements on-farm measures to reduce carbon and nitrogen, improve soil health and water quality, and boost biodiversity while prioritising farmer wellbeing.

The LENs model prioritises flexibility, farmer autonomy, and action-oriented solutions, making it uniquely positioned to tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues facing Welsh communities and businesses – not least the nutrient neutrality requirement for developments in the Cleddau catchment area.

In the long-term, LENs aims to work with more farmers across Wales, implementing practical measures to make the Welsh landscape resilient and productive while benefitting the environment and uplifting local communities.