9
Deferred
Incorporate new soil health targets into the EIP and expand ELM scheme participation by 2040.
Conclusion
The 2028 Environmental Improvement Plan should incorporate and develop these new soil health targets and ensure that soil improvement features across all related sectors, particularly construction, planning and agriculture. Goals for biodiversity, waste, food security, land use and net zero should ensure that soil health plays a role in their delivery. The EIP should also aim for nearly all farmers and growers (90% or more) to be part of an ELM scheme by 2040, and work with the agricultural sector to develop clear, reasonable and measurable definitions of “sustainable soil management” within ELMs, which are adaptable to different contexts and that all participants should be strongly incentivised to adopt. (Paragraph 40) Soil health 49 Incentivising sustainable soil management
Government Response Summary
The government's response outlined measures to improve accessibility for smaller and tenant farmers in ELM schemes, such as SFI Management Payments and adapted tenancy rules, but did not address the recommendation regarding the 2028 EIP, new soil health targets across sectors, or definitions of sustainable soil management.
Government Response
Deferred
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
We have introduced the SFI Management Payment which provides £20/Ha up to the first 50Ha to cover the management costs particularly for smaller farms. This is working and we have seen an increase in the number of smaller farms applying for our offers. We know that tenant farmers can face additional barriers when accessing environmental schemes. We’re continuing to make progress, adapting our policies and schemes so that tenant farmers can access them. SFI has been designed to remove the barriers that tenants previously faced. For example, SFI offers 3-year agreements. This is in line with the average length of farm business tenancies. We designed the rules so that tenants who expect to have management control for 3 years (even if their formal tenancy agreement or license does not extend that far) can still apply. This means that many farmers with annual rolling tenancy agreements can access SFI. We have also changed the rules so that penalties are no longer applied for tenants who may have to exit a scheme early if their tenancy ends unexpectedly. In addition, SFI does not require the tenant to gain landlord consent to enter the scheme. However, tenants should check the terms of their tenancy agreement before applying to SFI and, in the spirit of collaboration, they should communicate with their landlord about the SFI activities they will carry out. These changes have had a real impact with thousands of tenant farmers applying for SFI agreements. We are working closely with the new joint Defra/industry Farm Tenancy Forum (representing tenants, landlords and professional advisors) using their expertise to help us consider when landlord consent might be needed. For example, when a permanent land use change is required. As a result, we will introduce 16 new actions with a 3-year duration. We are exploring whether we can offer further actions of 3-year duration to make them more accessible to tenant farmers in 2024.
Timeline
Recommendation age
2.5 yrs
Report published
05 Dec 2023