- Ahead of an expected announcement on farming policy review, nature groups are urging the new Prime Minister to maintain ambition across all three tiers.
- New research sEnvironmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) funding now and increase funding from 2025, and prioritisehows the majority of Brits think the Government is giving too little support to help farmers improve the environment and nature
- Almost half (47%) of Brits say improving natural resources (like soil, pollinators and water) is the most important factor for UK food security
- Around 8 in 10 adults would support the Government rewarding farmers for measures to restore wildlife, lakes and rivers, and CO2-capturing wetlands and peatlands, which would only be available in a high ambition scheme
Leading environment groups are urging the new Prime Minister to take an important first step in reversing the Attack On Nature of the last administration, by fast-tracking ambitious nature-friendly farming reforms.
Proposals on the future of farming funding are expected later this month, after the Government announced a review of its farming policy. This includes a review of the Environmental Land Management payment schemes, which were first announced in 2018 to support farmers to deliver for nature and climate, and to assure future food security. Environmentalists have warned that the potential watering down and cutting back of the scheme is a key concern for nature’s recovery and would impact the Government’s ability to meet crucial targets.
The call to the Prime Minister comes as new Wildlife and Countryside Link research, conducted by YouGov, is published, which reveals high public demand for ambitious, well-funded, environmental farming measures to restore nature and ensure food security.
- There are concerns the Government may reduce ELM scheme funding, particularly for Landscape Recovery measures (as part of anticipated public spending cuts). But the new research shows keeping public funding for farmers to carry out environmental and animal welfare improvements at or above EU Common Agricultural Policy levels (of £2.4bn a year) is supported by almost 7 in 10 people (69%). Nearly half of Brits (48%) support increasing funding and only 4% support reducing it.
- Only 9% of Brits think the Government is giving farmers the right amount of support to improve the environment and nature. 55% say they are getting too little help.
- Water pollution is the top environmental issue Brits want the Government to pay farmers to tackle (86% support financial incentives for this). This is followed closely by restoring wildlife, woodland, lakes and rivers (all receiving 84% support), 83% support financial rewards for improved soil health, 79% for hedgerows and 77% for restoring CO2-capturing land like peatland and wetlands.
The findings also show that the public believes restoring natural resources, like pollinators and clean water, is the most important way to improve food security in the UK, with 47% saying this compared to only 25% saying other factors are more important.
More on:
Posted On: 03/11/2022