47 Accepted

To include harder-to-reach farmers and land managers, rural broadband connectivity must be addressed as a...

Recommendation
To include harder-to-reach farmers and land managers, rural broadband connectivity must be addressed as a matter of urgency, as recommended by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee in 2019. Defra should also make provision for tailored, farm-specific advice, farm visits, demonstration farms, and other knowledge-sharing activities that support the achievement of biodiversity goals. Defra should identify ‘win-wins’ that deliver production and environmental benefits to encourage early buy- in from farmers to the scheme. The scheme should include sufficient flexibility to allow for alternative land-uses, such as using land for storing carbon, helping to prevent floods, and maintaining beautiful landscapes for people to enjoy and reconnect with Biodiversity in the UK: bloom or bust? 121 nature. The introduction of ELMS should be used as an opportunity to encourage monitoring of on farm biodiversity, with funded audits of soil health, carbon sequestration and wildlife species prevalence forming a routine element of compliance and reporting.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation, outlining its Agricultural Transition Plan and new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes (Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery, Landscape Recovery). It commits to developing these schemes with farmers, providing tailored advice and support, and ongoing engagement to achieve biodiversity goals.
Paragraph Reference
205
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
Accept. We are making swift progress on our plans for agricultural transition, which is designed to replace the environmentally damaging Common Agricultural Payments with a new system of payments that actively reward farmers for the delivery of environmental benefits. The Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024, published in November 2020, sets out in detail how we will support farmers and land managers to protect and enhance our natural environment and deliver sustainable food production. The plan also describes the phasing out of Direct Payments between 2021 and 2027, as well as the transition to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The ELM schemes will replace Direct Payments and reward farmers and land managers for delivering environmental benefits. The three new schemes that make up ELM are the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery, and Landscape Recovery. We have published further information on these schemes on GOV.UK, as we develop them together with farmers and land managers. The schemes will be gradually introduced from 2021 and will be fully available by 2024, replacing Direct Payments which will be phased out completely by 2027. We are also committed to publishing a Food Strategy White Paper in 2021 which will set out further plans for food and farming policy in England. The government published the first Annual Report on the Agricultural Transition Plan in June 2021. This provides an update on progress on the agricultural transition, including an overview of progress with scheme design and the timeline for delivery, and further details of how we are phasing out damaging subsidies. The report also highlights examples of how we are working with farmers and land managers to co-design and test the schemes, including through the ELM Test and Trials, which began in 2018 with over 22 projects and now has over 3,000 farmers involved in over 200 projects. Farmers and land managers are playing a critical role in helping us to develop the schemes so that they are practical and workable. We are also working with stakeholders to understand the best ways to ensure that all farmers and land managers have the advice and support they need to participate and engage successfully with the new schemes, for example, through a new ‘offer’ of support and advice. We are continuing to engage with farmers on scheme design and delivery, through a series of engagement workshops to be delivered this Autumn, as well as through the ongoing ELM Test and Trials programme.
Timeline
Recommendation age 5.1 yrs
Report published 30 Jun 2021