Description

This article describes and analyzes two of the United Kingdom s agri-environmental payment programs – the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) program (began in 1986) and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) (launched in 1991 as a supplement to the ESA program).

Contents:

Introduction Scope and methods Environmentally Sensitive Areas scheme – Services and actors – Implementation – Additionality and baseline establishment – Permanence and leakage – Differentiation – Participation of disadvantaged groups Countryside Stewardship Scheme – Services and actors – Implementation – Additionality and baseline establishment – Permanence and leakage – Differentiation – Participation of disadvantaged groups Conclusions and discussion – Lessons learned – Subsequent policy developments and next steps