Sustainable Landscapes in partnership with

Anglian Water

Building more resilient landscapes across North Lincolnshire, supporting farm profitability, and protecting local water quality.

Sustainable Practices That Deliver Co-benefits for farmers and utilies companies.

In 2024, Future Food Solutions, in partnership with Anglian Water, launched a new Sustainable Landscapes Programme in North Lincolnshire. The initiative is designed to drive cultural change in broadacre farming across this predominantly arable region.

The region is also set to become increasingly important as a strategic water resource. As part of Anglian Water’s Strategic Pipeline Alliance, a major infrastructure project is underway to transfer water across the region. This pipeline will connect North Lincolnshire with other key supply areas, ensuring long-term water security for communities and agriculture across the east of England.

Our activities

Learn from fellow farmers and industry experts, and apply new practices directly on your farm to support farm profitability.

Build land resilience

Sustainable farming strengthens land resilience by improving soil structure, increasing organic matter, and supporting healthy microbial life. These practices help soils retain water, resist erosion, and recover more quickly from droughts or heavy rainfall, while maintaining long-term productivity and environmental health.

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Improve biodiversity

Sustainable farming enhances biodiversity by creating habitats for wildlife, supporting beneficial insects, and encouraging a variety of plants in and around fields. These practices strengthen ecosystems, improve pollination and pest control, and promote a healthier, more balanced farm environment.

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Supports farm profitability

Sustainable farming supports profitability by reducing input costs, improving crop yields, and increasing long-term soil health. By adopting practical, efficient practices, farmers can boost productivity while maintaining resilience and safeguarding their bottom line.

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Introduce new technologies

New farming technologies help improve profitability and sustainability by enabling more precise input use, optimising crop management, and monitoring soil and crop health. These innovations reduce costs, boost yields, and support long-term environmental stewardship, creating smarter, more resilient farms.

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Farmer to farmer knowledge sharing

Farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing helps drive both profitability and sustainability by spreading practical, proven ideas that work in real fields. By learning directly from peers, farmers cut risks, adopt effective practices faster, and build stronger networks that support smarter, more resilient farming.

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Build soil organic matter

By building soil organic matter through practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and returning crop residues to the field, farms can improve nutrient availability, boost moisture retention, and strengthen soil structure – supporting healthier crops and long-term productivity.

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Improve local water quality

Sustainable farming protects and improves water quality by reducing nutrient runoff, preventing soil erosion, and managing fertilisers more efficiently. Practices like buffer strips, cover crops, and careful nutrient management help keep waterways clean while supporting productive farmland.

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Sequester atmospheric carbon

Sustainable farming helps sequester atmospheric carbon by increasing soil organic matter through practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and compost application. This captures carbon in the soil, improves fertility, and contributes to climate change mitigation while enhancing farm productivity.

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Our Programme Impact in North Lincolnshire

As of spring 2025, the Sustainable Landscapes Programme has engaged with over 25,000 hectares of arable land, working closely with farmers to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart farming techniques. These practices are tailored to enhance soil structure, reduce nutrient leaching, and build long-term resilience to environmental and economic pressures.

Download our programme flyer

Challenges for Anglian Water

North Lincolnshire’s fertile, flat soils from clay to loam and sand support a diverse range of crops, but they also present unique water management challenges. Intensive arable farming can increase nutrient runoff, raising the risk of nitrate and phosphate pollution in rivers and streams.

The region’s proximity to the Humber Estuary brings both opportunity and risk. Flood-prone areas require careful land drainage and water management to prevent soil erosion, waterlogging, and contamination of local watercourses. Seasonal rainfall variability and extreme weather events further strain water infrastructure and can exacerbate nutrient leaching.

Additionally, maintaining water quality must balance agricultural productivity with environmental protection, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and safeguarding aquatic ecosystems. Effective collaboration with farmers is essential to implement sustainable practices that reduce pollution, enhance soil health, and protect both local waterways and the wider estuary.

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