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Wildlife, nature and the climate will all benefit from the biggest shakeup of agricultural policy in England in 50 years, according to government plans.
The £ 1.6bn subsidy farmers receive each year for simply owning land will be phased out by 2028, and the funds will instead be used to pay them to restore wild habitats, create new forests, boost soils and reduce use. of pesticides.
The wealthiest landowners, those receiving annual payments above £ 150,000 a year, will face the most drastic cuts, starting at 25% in 2021. Those receiving less than £ 30,000 will see a 5% cut next year.
Some of the biggest beneficiaries of the existing plan have been the Duke of Westminster, the inventor Sir James Dyson, the owner of a racehorse, Prince Khalid bin Abdullah al Saud and the Queen.
Farmers will also receive grants to improve productivity and animal welfare, including new robotic equipment. The objective of the plan is that farmers, within seven years, produce healthy and profitable food in a sustainable way and without subsidies.
Environment Secretary George Eustice acknowledged the damage done to the environment by industrial agriculture since the 1960s and said the new plans would contribute to nature and help combat the climate crisis. Agriculture occupies 70% of England, is the main driver of biodiversity loss and produces significant greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
Radical changes in agricultural policy are possible as the UK leaves the EU, whose common agricultural policy is widely seen as a disaster for nature and even critics of Brexit see the changes as positive.
Agriculture and environment groups largely welcomed the plans, but said more details were urgently needed. Brexit looms in late December and uncertainties persist over food tariffs and trade deals. Many groups are also concerned about the possible importation of food produced to lower environmental and animal welfare standards.
“[This is] the biggest change in agricultural policy in half a century, ”Eustice said. “It makes no sense to subsidize land ownership and tenure where the largest subsidy payments often go to the wealthiest landowners.
“Over the last century, much of our wildlife-rich habitat has been lost and many species are in long-term decline.
“I know that many farmers are deeply sorry for this loss and are taking steps to reverse this decline. But we cannot deny that the intensification of agriculture since the 1960s has taken its toll. Our plans for future agriculture must [also] addressing climate change, one of the most urgent challenges facing the world. “
The total of £ 2.4 billion a year currently paid to farmers will remain the same until 2025, as promised in the Conservative manifesto. Currently, two-thirds of this is paid for land ownership alone, but the proportion will drop to one-third in 2025 and to zero in 2028. Funding for environmental actions will increase from a quarter of the total to more than half in 2025 , with the remaining funds are used to increase productivity.
The new green payments will be tested with 5,000 farmers before a full rollout in 2024. But the level of payments for jobs such as natural flood defenses and peatland and marsh restoration has yet to be established. The likely reduction in carbon emissions has not been quantified either.
National Farmers Union President Minette Batters said: “Agriculture is changing and we look forward to working with ministers and officials to co-create the new schemes.”
But he added: “Expecting farmers to run viable, high-cost agribusinesses, continue to produce food and increase their environmental delivery, while eliminating existing support and without a full replacement scheme for almost three years is a high risk and a big question. . ”
The cuts are expected to cut ranchers’ incomes, for example, by 60% to 80% by 2024, Batters said.
Kate Norgrove of WWF said: “Our farmers have the potential to be front-line heroes in the climate and natural emergency, and this roadmap puts us on the right track. You must see more investment in nature as a way to tackle climate change. “
Tom Lancaster, RSPB director of agricultural policy, said: “This is a watershed moment for the government’s agricultural reforms, which are so important to both the future of agriculture and the recovery of nature in England. [This plan] it provides welcome clarity, but faster progress is needed now in the coming months. “
But Craig Bennett, executive director of the Wildlife Trusts, said: “We are deeply concerned that the pilot [environment] Schemes simply cannot deliver on the promise that nature will be in a better state. Four years after the EU referendum, we still lack details and clarity on how agricultural finance will benefit the public. “
Other measures in the government plan include improvements in financing the way farmers manage animal manure (slurry is a major pollutant of both water and air) and a plan in which farmers who wish to leave the sector can withdraw all subsidy payments due to them through 2028 in 2022, part of efforts to help new farmers enter the sector.
The government said it would cut “red tape” for farmers, with warning letters that would replace automatic fines for minor problems and more targeted inspections, but no less.
In July, the government said the rules on miscellaneous crops, fallow land and hedges would be abolished in 2021, claiming they had few environmental benefits. Farm policy is a decentralized affair and other UK nations have yet to come up with firm new plans.
