Listening to the news this week, I’m beginning to wonder whether we will ever run out of words to prefix ‘Brexit’ with – hard Brexit, messy Brexit, soft Brexit, clean Brexit.  I know that Brexit is meant to mean Brexit, but after a while, given the complexities associated with leaving the EU, the word begins to lose all meaning.

At the risk of adding to the prefix pile though, I would argue that, irrespective of the texture, what we desperately need is a green Brexit – one that helps rather than hinders our ability to restore wildlife in a generation and wean ourselves off fossil fuels in the fight against climate change.

Today, with our partners WWF-UK, The Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust, we set our stall in one of the most important policy debates for nature, by outlining our vision for environment, farming and rural development policies to replace the Common Agriculture Policy.

In this short document, we make the case that the countryside, and the nature that makes it so special, should be at the heart of future farm policies across the UK, and we set out five principles to inform how these should be developed.

Mike Langman's artwork used in a South Downs farmland birds leaflet

These should not be contentious. Who would argue against the idea that people want an attractive countryside rich in wildlife, giving us clean water, protecting us from flooding as well as providing good food to eat? Would anyone suggest that we don’t all have a stake in the future of our countryside, or that we shouldn’t strive to restore nature everywhere, for everyone to enjoy?

Our departure from the European Union will be one of the most defining events for farming and the environment in living memory. Following hot on the heels of last month’s State of Nature report, we know that urgent action is needed to stem the declines of once common species such as skylark, brown hare, lapwing, corn bunting, corn marigold, cornflower, hedgehog and grey partridge.  If we are to achieve this, farmers and land managers will be key.

With over three quarters of the country farmed, farmers and land managers are uniquely placed to meet the challenges of restoring nature and capitalising on the opportunities this brings. But we need the future policies to do much more than the CAP has in the past. Despite the bright point of agri-environment schemes, and the notable successes these have provided, they have been too limited, primarily because they have only ever attracted around 20-25% of CAP spending (whose total UK annual budget is about £3.1 billion).

If we are to make a success of Brexit for nature, we will need future environment, farming and rural development policies to drive restoration of nature across countryside. We need to support sustainable farming that not only produces great food, but also rewards farmers and land managers for maintaining and restoring the farmed environment.

Some will try to convince politicians and public that this is a choice between food and nature; that farmers can be either stewards of the land or food producers, but not both. Today, we reject this false choice, and those who peddle it.

The future of food, farming and nature is inextricably linked – in a crowded country, we need farmers to give nature a home, and the long-term sustainability of food production depends upon natural resources such as soils, water and the services provided by pollinating insects.  And, I know many farmers that are up for the challenge of trying to do both.  At our intensive arable farm in Cambridgeshire - Hope Farm - we have maintained wheat yield while increasing key farmland bird populations by 190% since acquiring the farm in 2000.

This debate is only just getting going but things will hot up pretty quickly as demonstrated by Greenpeace’s intervention this week about who receives farm payments. 

The UK Government has signed up to some very ambitious UN sustainable development goals and biodiversity targets and they oblige us to halt the loss of biodiversity and create genuinely sustainable farming by the end of the decade. 

So, the opportunity to create policies that drive truly sustainable land management is not one we can afford to miss. One of our asks to Government today is create an independent Policy Commission to examine future policy options, and engage the public and stakeholders in an open and inclusive way. Regardless of where you sit or what your position is, we will need to work together if we are to achieve a countryside rich in nature alongside vibrant communities and a thriving food and farming sector.  

What guiding principles do you think should govern our future agriculture and land use policy?

It would be great to hear your views.

  • Good stuff Martin - give us ambition in achieving both food and wildlife but please be a tad more realistic on adding 'affordable' in front of the word food. That dreaded 's' word (sustainable) is running out of space - sustaining a profitable bottom line for farmers, sustaining (in fact enhancing) wildlife, and provision of sustainable healthy diets for those on lower incomes.

    Average spend is now 11% of income on food but for those on lower incomes, it's closer to 25%. This is a tough call that few politicians tackle but we must be more honest on exploring tough choices rather than floating images of utopia as a way out of these challenging times.

    More nuance is required on how we can re-model farming into the future - care on use of words is now key to prevent preconceived perceptions from stifling innovation - the word 'intensive' is an example when it's loss of heterogeneity that is the key (this research just out might have changed how data in the brilliant State of Nature report was poorly presented and reported) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/.../abstract

    Now is not the time dumb down issues but to grasp the horns of agriculture to move forward together with more counter-intuitive partnerships.

    Here's to more intensive genetic engineered organic and extensive agro-ecological conventional farming!

    Best, Rob

    www.robyorke.co.uk

  • I think the following key points need to form our future agriculture and land use policies. Firstly, the principle that it is NOT an either or situation with regard to wildlife and agriculture. So many people who do not understand nature say people before wildlife. Actually you can have both and it is important that people realise this. It is so well demonstrated at Hope Farm,. Farming generally, should follow the success stories that Hope Farm has repeatedly produced. Secondly a certain percentage of the national land should be given over principally to wildlife and should be inviolate such that areas like SSSIs are fully protected and not as they are ar present periodically subjected to damaging proposals or activities. Thirdly there should be a policy of rewilding, that will in time bring back all the species that this country has lost over the centuries. Fourthly and finally,CAP payments, or the equivalent after Brexit need to focus of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and practices to do this need to receive special financial help and consideration.