WIREDGOV

A groundbreaking agreement between the farming industry and Government means farmers will take action to ensure their farms support and protect wildlife and biodiversity, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn announced today.

The new agreement will see the National Farmers Union, the Country Land and Business Association and other industry partners work with Natural England, the Environment Agency and the RSPB to get more farmers into Environmental Stewardship and expand voluntary action to help protect water quality and the farmland birds, plants and animals typical of the local landscape.

This commitment by the farming industry has enabled the Government to avoid having to regulate to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside, which was abolished last year.

Under the new agreement, farmers will:

· double the uptake of key agri-environment Entry Level Scheme in-field options, covering 40,000 hectares on top of current levels;

· increase uncropped land by 20,000 hectares from January 2008 levels. The campaign will also seek to improve the environmental management of at least 60,000 hectares of this land; and

· introduce voluntary measures on other land covering at least 30,000 hectares and up to 50,000 hectares.

The Campaign for the Farmed Environment will be led by the industry and will give famers advice and guidance on how to take appropriate action on their land.

Announcing his decision at the Royal Show, Mr Benn said:

“I greatly welcome the commitment and trust that the NFU and the CLA have shown in reaching this groundbreaking agreement. In return for that trust, we all expect to see positive results for the environment. It’s a clear challenge to all farmers from the industry and government together – the success of this approach is in your hands.

“I do want to recognise what many farmers are doing already. Two-thirds of England’s farmers have already put part of their land into an agri-environment scheme, in addition to voluntary action taking place outside this scheme to encourage birdlife and greater biodiversity. But we all agree that we need to do more for the environment.

“I look forward to seeing farmers responding to this challenge and to farmland bird numbers recovering, so that we don’t have to consider a regulatory approach in the future.”

Hilary Benn also praised the work done by all the other partners in reaching the deal, noting in particular Natural England for increasing and developing understanding of the benefits gained from set-aside and the effort put in to supporting the industry in developing the Campaign for the Farmed Environment, and the RSPB for raising awareness of the importance of farmland birds.

NFU President Peter Kendall said:

“I am very pleased that the Secretary of State has shown confidence in proposals which are about delivering a culture change in both farming and approaches to regulation. It will prove to be an important example of how the industry working in partnership with Government and its agencies can develop practical alternatives to regulation. The campaign is ambitious and provides a long term method of working collectively on environmental issues with the farming community. We are absolutely determined to make it succeed.

“We are convinced this is the best solution for both the environment and farm businesses. But we must now deliver on our promises together with our industry partners, govt agencies, and conservation groups.”

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said:

“We are delighted that the Secretary of State has agreed to support the Campaign for the Farmed Environment. We really do have an opportunity now not only to demonstrate what farmers and land managers already do for the environment but with further support and advice how much more can be done while continuing to produce high quality safe food.

“The targets are stretching but achievable if we all do our bit, it will require effort from all of us and I look forward to the challenge.”

Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said:

“There may have been a perception that we were opposed to a voluntary initiative, but our central aim throughout this process has been to achieve all that we can for the natural environment. We have worked tirelessly alongside the industry to be a position where we can work together and achieve the best results. As we all know, one volunteer is worth a thousand pressed men.

“This initiative will now get us to where we need to be and we welcome it with open arms. We’ve reached a position where we can all roll up our sleeves and create the biggest, most meaningful and effective partnership that we could have hoped for.”

Welcoming the announcement Paul Leinster, Chief Executive at the Environment Agency, said:

"It is important that the right balance is achieved between the efficient production of food and protecting the environment on which the future of agriculture depends.

"The Environment Agency supports the need to capture the environmental benefits that set-aside brought. We are pleased to have reached this agreement with farming industry on how to protect and improve the environment.

"This campaign, led by farming industry will raise awareness of the challenges such as diffuse pollution, which is having an impact on the quality of rivers and groundwaters. It will provide practical guidance and advice for farmers and land managers to reduce their impact on the environment. We look forward to working in partnership with all parties involved in this agreement to tackle these issues and ensure there is a healthy environment."

Graham Wynne, Chief Executive of the RSPB, said:

“The countryside needs this to work. We will help by providing advice and training on what farmland birds need.”

1. Five million hectares of English farmland are already covered by Environmental Stewardship agreements – roughly 54 per cent of our agricultural land (and together with an additional 1 million hectares still in predecessor schemes this rises to 65%).

2. The Government is putting £400 million a year into Environmental Stewardship (almost double the size of the previous programme), and £2.9 billion over the seven years of the Rural Development Programme for England, to help farmers manage their land sustainably.

3. The consultation on ways to recapture the environmental benefits of set-aside was part of a wider consultation on cross compliance standards (the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions), which closed on 27 May. This followed the EU Common Agricultural Policy Health Check last year. The aim was to simplify existing standards, and Defra today announced a number of changes which will be introduced from January 2010. These are:

· New standards will be introduced for water abstraction for irrigation and to limit spreading of manure and fertilizer where these might enter watercourses.

· Standards relating to soils, the management of hedgebanks and land not in production have been simplified and clarified.

· Farmers will be encouraged to use buffers strips to protect vulnerable watercourses and we will monitor the effectiveness of this approach.

· All guidance materials and support services on cross compliance will be updated to ensure farmers are aware of the changes.

STATEMENT FROM SIR DON CURRY

Sir Don Curry chaired the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food reporting to Government in January 2002 and was responsible for overseeing the Government’s Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food until March 2009.

Following the announcement in 2007 of a zero percent set-aside rate for 2008, Hilary Benn asked him to Chair a High Level Set Aside Group to consider how the environmental benefits, that were a side effect of set aside land, could be preserved.

He was also appointed to the Council of Food Policy Advisors in 2009.

Sir Don Curry said:

“When I was invited by the Secretary of State, in September 2007, to chair the High level Set Aside group I was very much aware of the seriousness of the challenge I was undertaking; Peter Kendall described it as a poisoned chalice. The issues at stake, however, were so important that I believed a resolution needed to be found. Trying to reconcile the differing views on how to mitigate the environmental benefits of set aside has indeed been one of the most challenging tasks I have undertaken.

“The issue for me, however, was not just about Set Aside. This debate is the first manifestation of the real tensions that exist about the use of land. With climate change and food security now high on our agendas, how we reconcile the tensions that exist on land use is a debate that is going to roll and roll. So it is not just about biodiversity and eco-systems, it is also about resource protection and finding a way forward that allows us to produce food and energy in response to market opportunities while taking responsible actions to enhance the environment.

“I am delighted that, ultimately, an agreement on a way forward was reached, and I believe this is a landmark in time for the management of the countryside. All farmers need to engage enthusiastically in delivering the environmental benefits for wildlife, biodiversity and resource protection. If we succeed together I believe we could set a new international precedent for the way we care for our countryside.

“I want to thank the partners involved in this agreement – the NFU, CLA, Natural England, the Environment Agency and the RSPB – I want to thank them for their perseverance and their willingness to engage until we found an acceptable solution. I do appreciate their support.”