We welcome the Government’s recent Agriculture Bill which will make payments for the delivery of public goods, and cease area support payments simply for owning land which it’s hoped will deliver better environmental outcomes and improve the viability of the sector. 

In our response published earlier this week, we welcomed payments for cultural and natural heritage, providing public access and enabling young farmers. We also stated our wish to see landscape specifically listed as a public benefit and further clarification provided on the support that will be made available to rural and upland communities and those who live and work within them. 

Jan Darrall, Policy Officer, 

“We are delighted to see payments for cultural and natural heritage, providing public access and enabling young farmers, and welcome the clarity on the length of the transition period that gives farmers and land managers the confidence to make plans to adjust and adapt. However, we do fear that the Bill in its current form is not sufficiently robust to secure the desired results for our landscape, our natural and cultural heritage – which includes our valuable commons, our rural communities and those who live and work within them. 

“We are pleased that the Bill covers rural development and that there are references in the policy statement to the value of traditional farming in upland areas, but it is not clear how these areas will be supported. It would help if we knew what the overall budget was going to be and that there was going to be enough money to deliver these healthy landscapes and communities that everyone values.  

“We would like to see landscape specifically listed as a public benefit and also the Bill make it a duty rather than a power to make payments for public goods (thereby ensuring it happens and not just may happen if desired). 

“We would also like to see funding for environmental actions and enhancements tailored to local landscapes and appropriate landscape enhancements, and also for opportunities to develop new landscapes that perform a number of functions (flood alleviation, improved habitats, reduced soil erosion, carbon sequestration, recreation, tranquility and dark skies).” 

The Bill will replace the current subsidy regime for farmers and land owners, in which most payments are related to the amount of land owned, with a landmark scheme focused on public benefits and enhancing the countryside. 

From 2021, payments will begin to be made through a system of environmental management contracts to deliver environmental benefits such as improving soil health and providing habitats for wildlife, and wider contributions such as improving public access to the countryside and protecting distinctive landscape features.

Read the full transcript of our briefing and comments >