Just days before the publication of Defra’s long-awaited consultation on how it plans to spend c£2 billion annually through the Common Agriculture Policy, a group of farmers travelled to London to make sure MPs and Ministers knew exactly how important agri-environment schemes are to them – not just for the wildlife they help support but as a key part of more sustainable farm businesses.
Supported by the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and National Trust, over 25 farmers, from Cumbria to Essex and from Devon to North Yorkshire took a day out from their busy enterprises to come to London. I was sad to miss the event, but my colleague, Abi Bunker, who heads up the RSPB’s Agriculture Policy team, was there and was bowled over by the strength of positive feeling in the room, "'What a great day. I feel inspired and enthused by these farmers who have travelled to Westminster today. I am delighted that our three organisations have been able to support and stand by them as they took their unified and strong message to MPs and Ministers. And that message was clear: put as much money as Europe allows into good quality agri-environment schemes."
Abi tells me that Jack Edge, who farms with his wife Georgina at Wall Farm in Kynnersley, Shropshire, was the first to make this point to the newly appointed farm Minister, George Eustice (pictured together below), who took questions during the event and left under no doubt that there is a passionate constituency of farmers who are depending on government to make the right decisions around funding for agri-environment.
When Defra’s consultation goes live – likely to be later this week – I know many of these passionate farmers will take the opportunity to press home once again how important agri-environment schemes are and why Defra Ministers should transfer the maximum 15% of funds from direct farm support to agri-environment schemes.
You can do the same. As soon as the consultation’s live, you’ll be able to take part in our e-action at www.rspb.org.uk/votefornature so you can make your voice heard alongside wildlife-friendly farmers. But in the meantime, you can take part in our poll to demonstrate your support for wildlife friendly farming. To have any chance of recovering our declining farmland wildlife, this is a fight we have to win.
I should just like to comment on the point about supporting wildlife friendly farming.
Agriculture is a major industry. All other major industries, if they wish to operate a major facility must obtain an authorisation to operate from the Environment Agency. That authorisation means that they must abate their releases to the environment (air, water, and waste), in other words they must not damage our environment. This costs any operator of major plant money, both in respect of capital cost and running costs.
It is therefore not unreasonable that the farming industry should be required to conduct its operations with consideration for the environment which includes our wildlife. The difference between this and a large industrial operator is that the farming industry is actually paid by the Government for environmental farming whereas the industrial operator receives no such payment. Not a bad deal for farmers I would suggest.
redkite