| Abstract: | The Countryside Stewardship Scheme was launched by the Countryside Commission in 1991 and before its transfer to the Ministry of Agriculture in April 1996, underwent a socioeconomic evaluation. This study looked at the impact on income and employment both on the farm and in the wider local and national context, using a stratified sample survey in conjunction with national and regional input-output models. Case study areas were chosen in Norfolk, Devon and Derbyshire, and by interviewing local businesses, and analysing farm accounts, a clearer picture of the spatial distribution of income and employment effects was obtained. In overview, the quantitative effect of the scheme on income and employment appears negligible or mildly positive: however, there are marked distributional effects. The negative impact is most likely to be dissipated in larger urban centres and among capital-intensive agricultural supply and food industries, while the positive effects tend to be concentrated in rural areas. |
