Farmers and landowners are uniquely positioned to manage this change, as they are the land managers making decisions on land use in the short, medium and longer term.

Natural Capital attempts to put a value on 'externalities' in the financial system, effectively things that are not taken into account by current economic models.

The pillars of Natural Capital are:

The challenge for the rural sector is to ensure that the majority of any income flowing from changes to future farming practices aimed at enhancing Natural Capital stays with the land and the people who manage it.

At the moment, we are helping clients begin to understand what Natural Capital they may have on their farm or landholding and to be in a position to be able to measure this for the time in the future when it will matter.

The market for Natural Capital Services is developing quickly but is relatively unregulated at the moment, meaning there is a risk of 'giving away' assets on the farm too cheaply.

Laurence Gould are keen to ensure that our existing and prospective clients are best placed to maximise the value available from the change of emphasis we are seeing as businesses realise the need to take account of their natural capital footprint and look for ways to link up with farmers and landowners who are able to provide the Natural Capital to them.