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Environmental advisors help farmers by ensuring they're following the environmental regulations, working to help natural habitats thrive and claiming the right payments from government for their work.

Agri-environmental advisor

An agri-environmental consultant provides advice and guidance to clients on a range of environmental issues and solutions. Clients range from small farming businesses to large estates and even government departments.

Also known as: agri-environmental consultant, environmental advisor or environmental consultant.

This profile highlights the skills and knowledge associated with the role. However, jobs will have varying responsibilities depending on level of the role and the size or type of the business.

We've listed employers and recruiters who hire for this role and you can find advice on searching for roles like this inside our Employment Toolkit.

Agri-environmental consultants advise on environmental regulations to ensure businesses effectively manage environmental risks, while also enhancing and protecting habitats and ecosystems.

A key part of the role is assessing environmental impacts and developing practical, sustainable solutions. Environmental consultants specialising in the agriculture sector carry out on-site investigations, often in challenging conditions, producing assessments to evaluate risks and providing guidance on how to mitigate environmental damage.

A large proportion of their work involves Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which were introduced into England’s environmental policy following the UK’s departure from the EU. Environmental consultants design and implement these schemes to improve farm profitability, enhance biodiversity and promote sustainable farming practices. Keeping up to date with changing policies is essential to providing accurate and effective advice to farmers.

Environmental consultants also conduct environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to evaluate the environmental, historical and cultural impacts of proposed projects and recommend appropriate mitigation measures. For example, when creating new woodland, consultants must understand the local landscape, soil type and climate conditions to select suitable species. It is essential to consider both the potential benefits and risks of land-use change and determine how best to minimise negative impacts.

This role necessitates both fieldwork and office-based tasks, meaning travel is often required to visit project sites. Travel can be frequent, sometimes involving overnight stays, particularly when working on remote or large-scale projects.

Environmental advisors usually start at a junior or graduate level, progressing to consultant and eventually management positions.

As an agri-environmental advisor, your responsibilities might include:

Carrying out assessments to evaluate and identify potential environmental risks
Visiting project sites to carry out procedures, such as data collection and ensure regulatory compliance
Analysing the data collected to assess the environmental impact
Advising clients, helping them to understand and comply with environmental protocols, and promoting sustainable practices
Creating strategies to minimise environmental harm
Staying updated with current technologies and legislation
Coordinating the planning and organisation of projects
Keeping up to date with environmental funding opportunities
On-site inspections, gathering data to ensure compliance with government policies
Designing Environmental Land Management applications
Advising clients, helping them understand and comply with environmental protocols and promoting sustainable practices
Working alongside agronomists, agri-business consultants and other farming professionals to best understand the individual farming businesses

To work as an agri-environmental adviser, you should:

Be confident in your analytical abilities
Have excellent attention to detail
Be passionate about the environment
Enjoy problem solving
Be adaptable and innovative
Take pride in being well organised
Have strong communication skills

As an agri-environmental advisor, you will require experience in conducting environmental assessments, using monitoring equipment, analysing data and applying legislative knowledge and practical agriculture/environmental knowledge.

This requires a strong foundation in science and mathematical principles.

This role is ideal for an individual with a keen interest in sustainability and environmental issues, with strong communication skills and the ability to work in diverse environments.

The salary for an environmental consultant is in the region of £25,000 and £65,000 per year.

This figure is for a full-time permanent position depending on level of experience, location, speciality and employer.

A career as an environmental consultant offers a diverse range of career opportunities. As experience is gained, you can progress to more senior consultant roles, even project management roles, overseeing large-scale environmental projects.

Further specialisation could lead to roles in climate change or environmental sciences, as well as environmental law, with additional qualifications acquired. This role provides a strong foundation for further study in environmental disciplines.

To become an environmental adviser, you will need to study a relevant degree at university or progress through a relevant apprenticeship programme.

Formal qualifications which could lead to the role include:

BSc Agricultural Sciences
BSc Biology
BSc Environmental Science
BSc Geology
MSc Environmental Management

You can also find relevant apprenticeships through the following organisations:

Short courses and online study options which can strengthen your application include:

Return to our job profiles page for more exciting roles in farming and growing.

Employers and recruiters who hire for this role include:

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