General enquiries on this form should be made to:
Defra, Science Directorate, Management Support and Finance Team
Telephone No. 020 7238 1612
SID 1
ROAME Statement
General notes
1.
2.
3.
The first stage of the ROAME (Rationale,
Objectives, Appraisal, Monitoring, Evaluation)
process requires a clear and succinct statement
of the commissioning organisation’s rationale for
funding research. The SID 1 provides the
customer’s reasons for requiring research in a
particular policy area and the policy and scientific
objectives of that research. It forms the basis for
all research proposals and is vital to ensure
overall direction and ultimate evaluation of the
research programme.
will be published and used to inform
contractors and other funders of research of
the rationale and key policy drivers
underpinning Defra’s research programmes.
4.
The level at which the SID 1 statement is set is
for the policy customer to decide. Each
Programme should focus on one or more related
policy objectives and the related scientific
objective(s). However, policy customers may
wish to set SID 1 statements at a higher level,
e.g. where a large research programme
addresses similar policy and scientific objectives.
A SID 1 must be produced for each research
programme. It should be approved at Director
level, or at a lower level only through formal
delegation of authority. Science Units within
Defra are responsible for ensuring that all
research is commissioned and contracted under
a SID 1 which complies with this guidance. A
SID 1 should typically be no more than 5-6 pages
long, although this can vary depending on the
complexity and size of the programmes covered.
5.
The SID 1 is an important working document,
which stems from and supports Defra’s
Evidence and Innovation Strategy. All SID 1s
SID 1s should be reviewed every 3-5 years. If
new or revised forms are produced (for example,
following a review), these should annex the
original form to provide a historical record of
programme change. Please refer to the Science
Handbook for further guidance.
6.
This form is in Word format and the boxes may
be expanded, or reduced, as appropriate.
1. Area of Policy/Research
Please state the title of the proposed research programme – including FPS Programme Code Assessment
Unit or Sub-Programme Code.
IF01 Integrated Farming Systems
2. RATIONALE for Defra Funding
(a)
Describe the policy problems to be addressed by this research.
The Defra Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food outlined the aim of a
competitive and efficient farming and food sector which protects and enhances
our countryside and wider environment and contributes to the health and
prosperity of all our communities. Sustainable development of agriculture
(including arable, horticulture and livestock farming) faces challenges across
three elements: economics, environment and social. Key considerations include
the production of safe, healthy products in response to market demand; farming
systems that support sustainable land management and a viable, diverse rural
economy; and consistently high standards of environmental performance
SID 1 (2/05)
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avoiding impacts on natural resources (particularly soil, water and biodiversity).
A farming system comprises a complex of interrelated and interacting factors.
An isolated study of a part of the system will not provide adequate
understanding of the behaviour of the entire system and the interactions may be
equally or more important than the components. There is therefore a
requirement for the development of integrated approaches and practices to
change these farming systems or help them adapt in ways that eliminate or
reduce the negative impacts of production without unduly affecting economic
viability of the farm enterprise. Research is necessary to underpin improved
understanding of the interacting components and devise innovative solutions or
utilise new technologies to balance environmental concerns with production,
market and social requirements. There is likely to be limited private sector
investment in knowledge and technologies that would help farmers, growers and
land managers deliver the environmental benefits that Defra seeks or more
prudent use of natural and non-renewable resources.
Research can contribute in a number of potential ways: greater efficiency of
resource use, particularly in relation to fertilisers or manures, water and
pesticides, will contribute to meeting international and domestic targets;
improved varieties of crops or livestock for relevant genetic traits, for use as a
component of an integrated system, can similarly reduce inputs, diffuse pollution
or effects on habits, fauna or flora; future diversity of cropping and greater
integration of crop and livestock production chains could have similar
biodiversity benefits; soundly based forecasts, thresholds and decision support
systems will assist on-farm decision making, better equipping farmers to
manage their own risks while contributing to Defra’s environmental aims;
management of crops, including for new bioenergy markets, and field margins or
adjacent areas as part of integrated production systems, can encourage species
that are food items for farmland bird populations or the natural enemies of pests.
(b)
Explain how the research will support Defra Strategic Priorities, PSA targets and Evidence and
Innovation Strategy.
The research will contribute to a number of Defra Strategic Priorities:



Sustainable Farming and Food – by ensuring farmers, growers and land
managers have the tools to enable them to contribute to an environmentally
and economically sustainable food supply chain and increasingly be able to
manage their own risks.
Protecting the Countryside and Natural Resource Protection – by contributing
to conservation management and enhancement of ecosystems and
ecosystem services.
Sustainable Consumption and Production – by reducing the impact of
primary production on the environment and energy use.
The research primarily supports two of Defra’s PSA targets:


PSA 5. Deliver more customer-focused, competitive and sustainable farming
and food industries.
PSA 3. Care for our natural heritage, make the countryside attractive and
enjoyable for all and preserve biological diversity.
The research underpins the delivery of the Evidence and Innovation Strategy
priorities relating to Sustainable Farming and Food.
SID 1 (2/05)
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(c)
Explain how this research will be co-ordinated with other Defra science and policy activity. This should
cover co-ordination with other Defra research programmes, including economic, social science and the
Horizon Scanning Programme and other Defra science activity, e.g. monitoring and surveillance
programmes.
This research will be co-ordinated with relevant Defra policy through the
Sustainable Farming Systems and Biodiversity R&D Programme Management
Group which includes representatives from the Sustainable Farming and Food,
Living Land and Seas and Environment Directorates General and through wider
collaboration with Defra science activities. Liaison at sub-programme level will
include:
 SFFSD Water Quality and Use in Agriculture R&D Programme
 SFFSD Agriculture and Climate Change R&D Programme
 SFFSD Food Safety, Food Chain, Consumer R&D Programme
 Living Land and Seas Science Division
 Nutrient Management Unit
 Sustainable Agricultural Strategy Division
 Soils Unit
 Pesticides Safety Division
 Agri-Environment Schemes
(d)
Explain how the proposed programme will align with the work of other Departments
and funders of research. This should cover UK funders and, where possible or appropriate, funders in
other countries or international bodies; whether co-ordination is needed or foreseen and, if so, how and
when such co-ordination or collaboration should take place.
The research draws on the research base provided by the Research Councils,
particularly the Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) the
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and their joint initiatives such as
the RELU Programme.
Individual projects will align and be co-ordinated with relevant work funded by:
 SEERAD
 Natural England
 Environment Agency
 EU Programmes
 UK Levy Bodies, individually and through the Applied Research Forum
 Other industry and NGO research interests, including through LINK
Also via an annual meeting with stakeholders of SFFSD’s R&D Programmes.
Project teams also required or encouraged to collaborate with other researchers.
(e) Provide a brief summary as to why Defra should fund the proposed research. You are required to
justify the use of Defra resources for the proposed project. In your justification you should clearly
set out that no other existing or current research or body of information meets the policy needs;
why R&D is the most suitable method to provide evidence; and the intended outcome of the
programme.
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The programme is seeking to identify and enhance public benefits to landscape
and biodiversity and reduce adverse impacts on these and from diffuse pollution
resulting from current farming systems and practices. Defra funding is justified
because research that will reduce the negative environmental footprint of
farming and encourage the more prudent use of natural and non-renewable
resources will not be funded by the private sector on its own. These aims might
be achieved in part by greater regulatory control of farming or the use of fiscal
instruments to force a change in behaviour but at the cost of additional financial
and bureaucratic burdens on farmers and land managers, potentially
jeopardising the viability of farm businesses. This research will however provide
evidence and information to Defra to help inform policy development and the
tools and options to encourage adoption of the best integrated practices for
delivering these environmental aims as part of commercially viable farming
systems. In some cases and usually by building further on this research, where
joint environmental and commercial benefits can result, industry becomes
involved through collaborative research such as LINK (attracting 50%
government sponsorship), and in facilitating technology transfer to farming
sectors.
3. OBJECTIVES
(a) State policy objectives which should be:
 achievable;
 testable (i.e. in a form capable of verification, preferably in a quantitative fashion); and
 time-bound (i.e. to be reached at a pre-determined date).
To develop new integrated approaches to farming systems which are inherently
more environmentally and economically sustainable and help reduce the
environmental and carbon footprints of our food production and consumption.
3. OBJECTIVES continued
(b) State scientific objectives which must be achievable, verifiable and timebound.
Science staff must decide where research can contribute to the achievement of policy objectives and
agree with Policy DGs scientific objectives appropriate to meet the policy need. They should also
cover the key deliverables against which the success of the programme will be judged at review:

anticipated contribution to Defra policy development (i.e. to inform change of policy);

other outputs, such as new or refined industry practices/standards;

planned processes for Knowledge Transfer and Innovation and communication to the public.
SID 1 (2/05)
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To provide evidence, knowledge and understanding to support future policy
development and devise and validate technologies that seek to be
multifunctional in integrating natural processes, controls and cycles and
conserving or enhancing biodiversity in the farmed environment.
1. To update and extend the evidence base supporting whole-farm integrated
approaches to the management of farming systems, determine their potential
contribution to the achievement of Defra environmental aims and encourage
their greater practical uptake.
2. To examine the impact of specific new changes in land use and management
on functional biodiversity and other ecosystem services by extending existing
understanding on crops (particularly potential new biomass energy crops)
and cropping systems at the field scale. In addition to work supplementing a
current joint Research Council RELU project on biomass crops, a preliminary
study on the use of ecosystem scale simulation models for the prediction of
impacts of changes in farming systems and land management on biodiversity
will inform the future programme.
3. To utilise information and analyses from the Countryside Survey, Agricultural
Change and Environment Observatory and other long-term datasets to
improve consideration of how farming practices and systems affect the
vegetation, soils, biodiversity and landscape features associated with farmed
land and potential changes e.g. in relation to climate or agronomic
developments.
4. To improve the environmental management and sustainability of low input
multifunctional livestock grazing systems. Future programme objectives will
be informed by a review of recently completed grassland research relevant to
ecological considerations conducted in 2006.
5. To reduce crop protection practice impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and
biodiversity, develop integrated pest/crop management measures compatible
with environmental protection and resource use efficiency and encourage
their adoption by farmers and growers.
6. To underpin the genetic improvement of crops and livestock to reduce the
environmental footprint of food production and consumption, through the
encouragement of co-ordination of public and private sector pre-breeding
research and provision of appropriate genetic resources, expertise and
information. The crop research will feed into Defra Plant Varieties and
Seeds’ considerations of how to facilitate breeders’ production of varieties
with positive environmental characteristics and their uptake. Future
programme objectives in this area will be informed by a review of the
rationale for Defra investment in crop and livestock genetics being conducted
in 2006.
7. To consolidate the evidence base and understanding of the nitrogen cycle
and other nutrients and crop responses within farming systems. In the first
instance, the priority (for 2006-08) is update or replacement of current RB209
fertilser recommendations to support further consideration of how best to
reconcile farming requirements and environmental regulations.
8. To continue the development of farm and farm enterprise based decisionsupport by building on previous work to provide technology that, once widely
available and delivered effectively, would reduce adverse environmental
impacts and protect natural resources.
9. To develop a framework for prioritising investment in R&D addressing
sustainable Food and Farming requirements.
SID 1 (2/05)
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4. APPRAISAL
Explain your plans to ensure that you obtain fit for purpose research under this programme and value for
money for the taxpayer. In particular, how will you ensure expert external input and challenge (e.g, through
advice from expert groups/committees; peer review of project proposals; and level of competitively let
contracts) are taken into account.
The guidelines for peer review and competition set out in the Science Handbook will be
followed. It is anticipated that major medium to long-term studies proposed will be
subject to peer review and that significant new work will normally be let by competition.
That part of the programme that clearly builds on previous research investment will be
considered case by case taking into account implications for the research base and
issues relating to timing, intellectual property and research collaboration.
5. MONITORING
Please explain how you plan to monitor progress against programme and project objectives, in particular any
key programme review points.
The guidelines for project monitoring set out in the Science Handbook will be followed.
SFFSD project officers will monitor projects through annual reports and personal
contact, visiting a project at least once during its lifetime or more frequently depending
on interim assessments of progress and risk. Programmes are normally reviewed on a
four year cycle, i.e. the programme will be subject to a first Science Review in 2009/10.
6. EVALUATION
Please specify how you intend to evaluate the outputs of the programme against its objectives, ensuring
appropriate external input and challenge. This should also include an assessment of the future of the
programme.
Outputs of projects and programme are subject to ongoing evaluation with respect to
contribution to individual policy customers’ requirements. A more detailed “policy
review” is conducted in tandem with the science review.
This research programme will be reviewed by (insert year)
2009
Approved by
Date
Name
Unit
SID 1 (2/05)
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