The Farming for nature Q&A " target="_blank">Farming for Nature awards are a great way of portraying farming in a broader and more positive light rather than the simplistic negative story that is often depicted.

The majority of farmers do treat the environment with respect. Since the introduction of the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS), its successors AEOS and more recently GLAS, more and more farmers have taken up actions that are designed to enhance and protect the local environment.

The new European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects in places like Wicklow, Cork and Kerry funded by the Department of Agriculture are very progressive and are to be welcomed.

These schemes have also helped educate farmers about nature on their farms and why it needs to be protected.

The rules around the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Greening have also helped limit pollution.

There are strict rules on slurry and fertiliser spreading, storage of farm yard manure and the use of pesticides now, that were not in place in the not so distant past. Such rules and regulations can be burdensome for farmers at times, but they are followed by the majority.

However, it’s important to remember that there are also opportunities for farmers in the environmental sector – from growing biofuels to sequestering carbon in trees, or managing water and/or biodiversity.

Ireland has the potential to be a world leader in sustainable farming, producing great food from a great environment and doing so in a way that provides a decent living for farm families.

With this in mind it is wonderful to see farming and nature being celebrated in one combined theme. On 27 October the Bord Bia sponsored Farming for Nature Awards - final farmer profiles" target="_blank">National Farming for Nature Award 2018 will be held in Kinvara, Co Galway. This will take place during the wider four day Burren Winterage Weekend.

The organisers of this independent, nonprofit initiative need to be applauded for the huge effort that has been put in to get the idea off the ground.

In this focus supplement, we preview what is going to happen during the action packed weekend. The focus also explains more about the concept of ‘farming for nature’ and the opportunities that it may provide.