I have talked quite a lot on this blog recently about Brexit, farming and the importance of well-designed domestic agriculture policy to effectively support farmers and nature in the future. A growing number of farmers are indicating that they wish to see this too. Today I am very pleased to host a guest blog from Martin Lines, Chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, which launches at the Oxford Real Farming Conference today. This comes the day after Environment Secretary Michael Gove offered his most comprehensive statement about the future of farming policy (which you can read here).
This new group of UK farmers want to make sure that the potential of farmland for both wildlife conservation and food production is realised in a post-Brexit world. Here, Martin (on the left of this picture) shares his thoughts on why and how they hope to achieve that and how you too can join.
“As a farmer, I have always been interested in wildlife and I already do a lot on my own farm. Farmers manage most of the UK’s countryside, so our actions have a huge effect on what the countryside looks like. I have joined the Nature Friendly Farming Network because I believe that safeguarding the future of our countryside, and the wildlife that resides in it, is imperative. Farmers need the right support to help make this happen.
I’ve always known that there must be other farmers out there who share my passion for farming and wildlife, but have often felt frustrated and sometimes isolated in the work that I am doing because there’s little opportunity to connect.
I would find myself thinking ‘How much could we achieve if all the nature-friendly farmers around the UK came together to demonstrate how important, and how possible, it is for farming and nature conservation to work together.’ We have created the Nature Friendly Farming Network to do just that, and I am so pleased to be involved with this new and exciting group at such an important time for agriculture in the UK.
Over the coming months, we will see the debate around our future farming policy gather pace. As set out in our manifesto, the Nature Friendly Farming Network wants to make sure that nature-friendly farming is an important part of that debate. Brexit is a huge opportunity and challenge for UK farming, as the government writes a new Agriculture Bill. But it’s important that this new policy is not detrimental to the countryside. And if the policy doesn’t work for farmers, it’s not going to work for the countryside. So it’s really important for farmers to stand up and have a voice, engaging policy makers and the public, for a countryside with a better balance of food production and wildlife.
We believe that nature-friendly farming is not only better for nature, but is also the most productive and sustainable way of getting food from our land. Many farmers are already playing an incredible role in helping wildlife flourish on their farms – we believe that they should be better supported and rewarded for their good work.
As well as championing nature-friendly farming in a policy context, the Nature Friendly Farming Network will play an important role in connecting farmers across the UK. Not only will this help us to share and develop our knowledge, but also to feel like we’re not alone in our endeavours to provide for wildlife on our farms. We come from a range of backgrounds - big and small, organic and conventional, upland and lowland. What unites us is our passion for creating a countryside that is both productive and bursting with wildlife.
More detail on the Nature Friendly Farming Network, the manifesto and how to join can be found on our website, and you can also follow us on Twitter. You don’t have to be a farmer to join – public support for nature-friendly farming is also very important so we have created a space for non-farmers to lend their voice to our work too.”
At such a critical point in time, it is great to see such a forward-thinking, passionate and knowledgeable group of farmers coming together to champion a better future. The RSPB has been working closely with farmers to achieve positive conservation outcomes for many years, and we wholeheartedly support the Nature Friendly Farming Network in their endeavours and wish them every success. If you would like to lend your voice, do take the time to sign up and help to demonstrate the wealth of support for this approach.
And it appears today that they should have an ally in Mr Gove.
The steps Michael Gove set out in his speech are vital to bring about the changes needed in farming so that it works for farmers, nature and broader society. We look forward to seeing the detail laid out in new legislation so that farmers get the clarity they need to help them adapt towards the new system. If the government is serious about meeting even its existing environmental ambitions then of the £3bn currently spent each year on agriculture, £2.3bn annually must be invested in effective and targeted land use management over the next decade.