Step one Identifying opportunities to trade
Any new scheme should begin by identifying the opportunity. This could be initiated from the supply side, for example if a group of farmers already working together is keen to access additional funding; or, from the demand side, if a business or group of businesses is looking for a particular solution or benefit. To determine if an opportunity exists: 1. Assess which businesses or public services in a region are most affected by how a landscape performs, and which landscape assets are involved. Then, any overlap in interests for different businesses or sectors can be identified. 2. Assess what outcomes can be delivered by that landscape. This involves understanding its physical capacity, and the ability of farmers and land managers to enter into agreements and deliver interventions. For example, it should seek to understand the economics of local farms, whether there are existing farmer collaborations and what experience farmers and land managers already have of participating in environmental schemes. The objective at this stage is not to build up a comprehensive plan, but to use existing data, intelligence and insight to identify the most promising place to start a trade.
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