As the Brexit debate unfolds, some clarity at a UK level has been provided by the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, on the short-term funding available to support farming and rural investment, including that for conservation management. The RSPB believes public funding should support the delivery of public goods or benefits, such as wildlife, woodlands and wetlands, clean rivers and carbon storage.
Leaving the EU will mean that the UK and Scotland no longer benefit from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding. Since 1973, CAP has represented a significant investment in Scotland’s rural areas, and whilst we have called for a reform of the CAP, we recognise that it provides vital funding for wildlife friendly farming schemes as part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). This programme also helps pay for advice to farmers, partnership working between land managers for environmental gains and funding for a diverse range of measures to help landscapes, access and wildlife management. Without it, Scottish wildlife would be in an even more parlous state.
The loss of CAP and SRDP funding is clearly a matter of concern. The latest announcement by the Chancellor confirmed that funding for existing UK Rural Development Programmes will continue until the UK leaves the EU and that any financial commitments made will be honoured, even if they extend beyond the date of leaving. Some of you may have already read what this means for England in my colleague, Martin Harpers’, blog here. This is a welcome announcement from the UK Government but as agriculture policy is a devolved issue, we cannot assume the same until we hear similar strong messages from the Scottish Government (who of course need certainty from the UK Government).
75% of Scottish land is farmed and a quarter of our carbon emissions come from our land use, therefore how we manage our land has a significant impact on the natural environment and our wildlife. We have made important strides with peatland restoration and with farmers changing their practices to protect and enhance the environment.
Arable farmers in Eastern Scotland are helping once common, but now rare, birds such as the corn bunting, leaving stubble fields over winter and providing important feeding and nesting habitat. The SRDP’s Agri-Environment-Climate Scheme is paying farmers to undertake such management. Our work in partnership with other organisations and farmers in a seven-year monitoring study has demonstrated that corn bunting friendly management options can successfully be integrated into commercial operations and help reverse the decline of this species.
Some of Scotland’s most iconic wading birds including the lapwing and curlew are also benefiting from farmer’s environmental action supported by the SRDP. These birds have disappeared from many parts of the UK and their numbers have declined in Scotland by up to as much as 60% in some cases. Areas such as Caithness and Strathspey however, still hold significant populations thanks to the farming systems found there. Payments for grassland management are making sure that sufficient extent of habitat remains for these birds.
It is also worth remembering that specific action for one species can be substantial for many. High Nature Value farming and crofting which benefits corncrakes, also benefits the rare great yellow bumblebee, which finds food in the abundance of wildflowers and we are seeing the unique Scottish primrose making a comeback on coastal grasslands. And agri-environment support is helping to ensure that traditional crofting practices continue, avoiding land abandonment which would be just as detrimental to the rural economy and society as it would be to nature.
Our vision for sustainable farming and land management systems would be one that produces adequate supplies of safe, healthy food; protects the natural resources of soil, air and water on which farming depends; invests in and enhances wildlife habitats, including high nature value farmland; provide jobs in rural areas and contributes to a diverse rural economy. Therefore, maintaining existing wildlife friendly farming and encouraging more farmers to take action for wildlife must be a priority for future farming policy and payments to farmers. We know this is also popular with the public and the taxpayer who ultimately funds it.
Ensuring that agri-environment and other schemes under the SRDP remain open for business in 2017, 2018 and 2019 is essential to give clarity and stability to rural land managers and the environment. If the Scottish Government wishes to continue to show global leadership on climate change, halt the loss of biodiversity and meet its water quality targets, it must continue to provide the necessary funding.