9 December 2024
Groups including The Wildlife Trusts and WWF-UK call on government to address unfair supply chains and guarantee funding for green farming transition
Leading green groups have joined calls raising the alarm over the state of the farming system in England. In an open letter [1] to the Secretary of State Steve Reed today, a coalition of groups highlight the opportunity to restore confidence in the sector by tackling unfairness in the supply chain and boosting funding for nature-friendly farming.
The letter comes ahead of thousands of farmers converging on Parliament on Wednesday, to protest the financial pressures facing British farming. This week also sees the release of DEFRA’s three yearly food security report, which is expected to highlight the increasing threat that climate change is having on farmer’s livelihoods.
Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “There have been decades of under-investment in wildlife-friendly farming. The transition to sustainable agriculture that ought to offer a prosperous future for farmers and nature is way off track, with farmers and wildlife paying the price. With so much at stake for farmers and the environment, the Government has a chance to fix things.
"The Prime Minister should pledge the public money needed to grow a green and thriving farming economy that can help reverse nature's decline and provide security and stability for farming communities. Supply chains should be reforged so that responsible farmers are paid properly. And the system of farm payments should be quickly fixed, so that those farmers who lead the way to our shared vision of a nature-friendly future are rewarded well for their work."
Vicki Hird, Strategic Lead for Agriculture at The Wildlife Trusts, said: "Farmers are essential to both nature's recovery and climate adaptation but the UK Government must improve its approach so farmers can contribute meaningful impact. That requires well-designed and adequate finance, clearer advice, and regulations to balance an unfair supply chain.
“Without these changes, we will likely see further declines in wildlife, loss of soils, more water pollution and unmanaged flooding. A coherent farming and food roadmap aligned with a strong environmental ambition and budget, can not come soon enough."
Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive, said: “With 70% of the UK farmed, we simply cannot afford for nature-friendly farming to remain underfunded. We know the scale of funding needed if farmers are to be supported in a predictable and stable path towards delivering nature-friendly farming, and government must realise this ambition fast. Supporting this environmental delivery is urgently needed to secure the future of our food system in a way that benefits farm businesses and meets our legally binding nature and climate targets.”
Angela Francis, director of policy at WWF, said: “British farmers must be at the heart of any serious action on nature, climate, and sustainable food production. Yet too often farmers feel they are being asked to bear the brunt of fixing a broken system.
“This government now has the opportunity to ensure that the transition to nature-friendly farming is well funded and fair, with a set of minimum environmental standards to ensure that UK farmers are not undercut by substandard imports. Bold and decisive action on this will ensure that British farmers can continue their vital work for generations to come.”The changes to the tax landscape announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn budget sparked anger within the farming community, turning the issue into a political flashpoint. This heightened focus on farming is also shining a light on the deeper-rooted issues within the struggling sector.
The open letter from green groups, draws attention to the harsh economic realities these deeper-routed issues are leaving many farmers facing. These need to be resolved to support farmers to be able to transition to climate-resilient and nature-friendly farming practices. With a secure financial future for farmers vital for them to act as environmental stewards and help deliver the change on the ground needed to meet key environmental targets by 2030.
The letter urges decisive government action including calls to address power imbalances in food supply chains that disadvantage farmers, demanding greater transparency and fairness. It also highlights the need to better resource and target Environmental Land Management schemes and secure adequate funding to support sustainable farming.
These are long-standing issues inherited from the previous Government, that we are urging the new administration to resolve. In a difficult Budget it was welcome to see the farming budget was not cut, but urgent steps are needed now to restore confidence in the green farming transition. The organisations signing the letter are calling on the Government to increase the annual farm budget at the upcoming comprehensive spending review to at least £3.1 billion in England for environmental goals alone.
ENDS
Notes for editors
[1] Open letter available here
[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/uk-food-security-report-2024
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-legally-binding-environment-targets-set-out#
[4] £3.1bn is based on an assessment of the funding needed to meet environment and climate goals in England through land management interventions, https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Scale%20of%20Need%20Report%20July%202024%20FINAL.pdf
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