On Monday 2nd March, we were delighted to welcome over one hundred members of the ReFarm community to the RDS for the launch of ReFarm’s inaugural Impact Report [available here].
Farmers, funders, researchers, policymakers and peer projects came together to hear about the outcomes and impact from Year 1 of the pilot and to reflect on what is emerging from this growing collaboration around farmer-led nature restoration.
The agenda combined reflections from the ReFarm team, emerging research insights, and perspectives from farmers and funders about investing in nature.
Farmers Paul Carberry and Stephen Morrison shared their experiences of participating in ReFarm, noting that the benefits of positive actions for nature extend beyond environmental outcomes. From improved biodiversity to potential flood mitigation, from wellbeing benefits and to wider social impacts, the actions taking place on farms are generating value in multiple ways. As Stephen reflected, “If you give a little bit of space to nature you get so much back in return.”
From the funding perspective, Peter Lefroy of RWE Renewables Ireland and Denise Charlton of Community Foundation Ireland outlined the growing case for both private sector and philanthropic investment in nature restoration on farms.
The morning concluded with an outstanding and inspiring keynote from Ella McSweeney, who highlighted the urgency of restoring nature and called for an all-of-society approach to regenerating landscapes on nature’s terms. As Ella noted “nature finance done well is not simply an environmental intervention, it is an investment in the social fabric of rural Ireland“.
The session also included an open audience discussion, bringing additional perspectives and reflections from the wider ReFarm community. Several themes emerged from the conversation.
🌿 “Restoration by thousands of actions.”
From new ponds where wildlife has returned within months, to hedgerows that will stand for centuries, farmers are leading thousands of tangible, place-based actions that together create meaningful ecological change.
🌿 Farmer-led, farmer-owned.
Land remains in farmers’ hands and their expertise, built over generations, guides the work. As Farmer Paul Carberry shared, ReFarm is simply “a great way to get things done.”
🌿 Nature and wellbeing are deeply connected.
As Stephen Morrison reflected, restoration does more than transform landscapes. It can also support mental health, enable social farming initiatives and strengthen community connections. A restored hedge is not just habitat – it is a legacy that can last centuries.
🌿 Innovation in approach.
ReFarm is experimenting with new approaches to restoring nature: blending finance sources, involving farmers directly in planning and assessing works, and rewarding outcomes as well as actions. These innovations are testing new ways of financing and delivering nature restoration that place farmers at scale.
🌿 Blended finance that works.
With support from partners like Denise Charlton at Community Foundation Ireland, and corporate funders including Peter Lefroy of RWE Renewables Ireland Ltd, private and public funding is flowing directly to action on the ground – not just compliance paperwork.
🌿 Technology as a supporting tool, not the goal.
As Mark from WakeUp Capital noted, technology can helps remove the guesswork – from tracking birdsong to counting trees – but it remains subservient to the mission: restoring nature at scale.
🌿 A model built on collaboration
Farmers, businesses, researchers and policymakers rarely find themselves in the same room. The energy in the room reflected a growing ReFarm community, with people bringing different perspectives, experiences and ideas to learn from one another and collaborate.
🌿 Scaling while keeping farmers at the centre.
Across discussions and feedback, one question prevailed: how can ReFarm scale while maintaining a farmer-centred approach? Participants highlighted the need for the right mix of finance, institutional support and policy alignment to expand the model nationally and beyond.
As we reflect on the event and digest the valuable feedback shared by participants, we have two main takeaways: first, the momentum around farmer-led nature restoration is growing and secondly, the outcomes for 2025 demonstrate that the model is working.
Combined with collective action, farmer-led restoration has the potential to unlock public and private capital, strengthen community-led approaches and drive long-term environmental impact alongside social and economic benefits. The focus for ReFarm in the year ahead will be on creating even more habitats for nature, deepening measurement, continuing to test and learn, and building the operational, technological and financial systems needed to scale.
Full press release can be found here.