The imminent debate about the EU Budget has prompted farmers, academics and NGOs in the west country to join forces to write to the Prime Minister. The sentiment is one which I am sure is shared by many others across the UK...
"Dear Prime Minister
In this time of austerity it’s paramount that the trillion Euro EU budget delivers real value for money. Freezing its size and securing the rebate alone will not be a successful outcome for taxpayers.
Please protect and strengthen spending that delivers real public benefits.
Here in the West Country the Common Agriculture Policy rural development funds help farmers to both protect nature and adapt their businesses – helping sustain and grow the rural economy and its communities.
For example, on Dartmoor agri-environment (or “stewardship”) schemes are essential to hill farmers who protect and enhance this world famous landscape and the impressive array of associated public benefits, including safeguarding over 197,800 million litres of water every year and protecting 9.7million tonnes of carbon stored in the peat. These schemes play a pivotal role in conserving wildlife and supporting livestock production. But all this is under threat if the hill farmers cannot access stewardship payments in the future.
In figures published last Wednesday we understand that, in real terms, the EU is proposing to cut spending on these schemes which could amount to over 20%.
This is indefensible. Here in the West Country this will not only be a body blow to our most cherished places and their wildlife, but to the many thousands of farmers, already struggling, who rely on this support to keep them in business. As guardians of the landscape, these farmers are doing their best to produce high quality food while providing innumerable benefits for us all.
In doing this they underpin our single biggest regional economic sector – tourism – where time and time again visitor surveys are clear – people come west because of our outstanding natural environment.
Prime Minister, we urge you in the strongest terms to fight for these schemes this week.
And please remember, nature’s loss will be the West Country’s loss.
Yours sincerely
Mr Jon Andrews, Farmer, Langdon Barton Farm, Devon
Mr Will Barnard, Farmer, Somerset Levels, Somerset
Mr Harry Barton, Chief Executive Officer, Devon Wildlife Trust
Ms Audrey Compton, Farmer, Deer Park Farm, Devon
Mr Trevor Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Mr Bob Franklin, Farmer, Trebarwith Farm, Cornwall
Mr Peter French, Farmer, Deane Farm, Devon
Mr Peter Howlett, Woodhuish Farm, Devon
Dr Matt Lobley, Co-Director, Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter
Mr Colin Lockwood, Farmer, Manor Farm, Cornwall
Mr Simon Nash, Chief Executive Officer, Somerset Wildlife Trust
Ms Kate Palmer, Farmer, West Yeo Farm, Devon
Mr Tony Richardson, Regional Director, RSPB South West
Mr Robert Sloman, Farmer, Roscarrock, Cornwall
Mr Adrian Thomas, Farmer, Nanquidno Farm, Cornwall
Mr John Waldon, South West Uplands Federation
Mr John Whetman, Farmer, Deer Park Farm, Devon
Ms Christina Williams, Farmer, Exmoor
Professor Michael Winter, Co-Director, Centre for Rural Policy Research, University of Exeter"
I think Ed Milliband has got it right: supporting Britain's European membership should not be uncritical and farming and the environment is a key area where we should be asking questions more vociferously. The latest Birds highlights what EU LIFE has done for the RSPB. LIFE has been a fantastic source of funding for the environment across Europe and shows the EU at its best. Equally, the SAC & SPA series of protected areas is absolutely vital: Martin & RSPB colleagues know all too well how UK Ministers will stop and think before attacking EU sites in a way they never would for SSSI designation alone.
I very strongly agree with the SW alliance: targeted EU funding, especially HLS, is vital to the future of our rural environment. The issue over the EU budget is not that there ins't the money, its how its spent - because the lions share still goes to automatic payments that every farmer gets simply for farming. With world food prices soaring surely (and I know that its almost impossible to achieve politically !) we must be approaching the point where we have to pull back on funding arable agri-business which is doing fine without taxpayer's money ?
And surely we should be much more upfront about paying for the things we actually want rather than dressing them up behind food production: the landscape farmers provide that is that backdrop to the south west's huge and vital tourist industry, water - both supplying clean water and containing the sort of floods we saw in the Levels this year - we should be paying farmers above the counter for these vital services - and, of course, the birds themselves.
The idea we aren't part of Europe is simply a joke - and it is right that RSPB are leading in partnership with the farming community and the wider rural economy to modernise the way our EU money is spent to meet the needs of the 21st century, not the 1950s.