Wildlife Trusts call for nature-friendly farming policies

The Wildlife Trusts are reiterating their call for a £3.1bn English agriculture budget from Defra, saying it is the bare minimum needed to deliver for farmers, food security and nature.

The call comes ahead of the Oxford Farming Conference, at which Defra secretary Steve Reed is expected to set out his vision for the long-term future of farming.

See also: Defra secretary to address OFC amid industry challenges.

The Wildlife Trusts’ briefing paper – ‘Environmental Land Management schemes & Food Security – The case for increased investment in Nature for UK Food Security’ – sets out what they say are the changes needed to address long-term food security.

Included in the call is the need to deliver at least 3,000 Countryside Stewardship agreements per year by 2028, supported by increased resourcing for Natural England to process and offer agreements, and a ring-fenced budget.

Analysis

Independent analysis on behalf of The Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB and the National Trust conducted last year found that £3.1bn needs to be spent on nature-friendly farming and land management annually to meet the government’s own legally-binding environmental targets.

Senior land use policy manager, Barnaby Coupe, said: “The government needs to outline a clear future for nature-friendly farm schemes as a matter of extreme urgency.

“The ambitions of too many farmers are being stifled by a lack of certainty about what actions will be available to them, and when they will be able to access payments.”

The Wildlife Trusts point to last month’s UK Food Security Report from Defra, which cites a clear link between protecting the environment and securing future food supplies.

Climate change impacts are starting to bite, it says, with record flooding in England last year culminating in the second-worst harvest ever.

Government response

Despite the claims, a Defra spokesman insisted the government’s commitment to farmers is “steadfast”.

“It’s why this government is investing £5bn into farming over the next two years – the largest ever directed at sustainable food production in our country’s history,” said the spokesman.

“Over 60,000 agreements for our Environmental Land Management schemes are now live and we are going further to develop a 25-year farming roadmap to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

“As we set out in our Plan for Change, we are focused on supporting our farmers, delivering nature recovery, supporting rural economic growth, and boosting Britain’s food security.”