19
Accepted in Part
By mid-2025, the Government should develop an action plan setting out how it will make...
Recommendation
By mid-2025, the Government should develop an action plan setting out how it will make organic inputs a more economical choice for farmers. This should include measures that boost the availability and diversity of organic inputs to achieve soil health targets and ensure the organic recycling and agricultural sectors have the facilities and technologies to produce, store and spread a diverse range of organic inputs, including compost, digestate and biosolids. The Government also needs to support research into novel fertilisers and new technologies that can enable more use of organic inputs.
Government Response Summary
The government details existing grants, like the £200m Slurry Infrastructure Grant, and a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme launching in spring 2024, to support novel fertilisers and organic input development. They will also consult on fertiliser regulations. However, the response does not commit to developing a comprehensive action plan by mid-2025 to make organic inputs a more economical choice for farmers, as recommended.
Paragraph Reference
71
Government Response
Accepted in Part
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Currently the Environment Agency has a strategy for safe and sustainable sludge use (biosolids) and a review programme for its compost, anaerobic digestate and poultry litter ash Quality Protocols. The Government is making substantial investments to improve the management of organic nutrients. In 2022 Defra launched the Slurry Infrastructure Grant, which committed to spending £200m over 3 years on grants to improve the storage and management of slurry on farms. The Government has a long-term plan to support the development of novel fertilisers. Last year Defra announced a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme under the Farming Innovation Programme, aimed at supporting the development and adoption of novel techniques for improving nutrient management, including the development of novel fertilisers. The theme will launch in spring 2024. Additionally, Defra will consult on the reform of the fertiliser regulations later this year with the intention of providing a clearer route to market for products that may be created using inputs from organic sources. The government’s Food Strategy published in June 2022 sets out the government’s approach to delivering a prosperous agri-food sector that seeks to reduce the environmental impact of the food system. Defra and the Environment Agency engages with the agri-food industry throughout the supply chain to support an increase in farming standards, with soil health as one of the main priorities. We will continue to work with the Food Data Transparency Partnership to share knowledge and ideas for positive environmental outcomes. We will work towards a review and revision of the EIP in 2028, informed using an evidence-based approach as well as appropriate stakeholder engagement. This will consider how the current EIP23 may need to be revised to best drive action against the 10 goals included within the plan.
Timeline
Recommendation age
2.5 yrs
Report published
05 Dec 2023