Is this what SFI should have been?. . . .

[Jackov Altraids]

Leaving the Brexit argument aside [it has been done], it would look like we took the EU's policy and the lobbyist's removed the important parts and left British farmers holding the baby;

"The Farm to Fork Strategy is at the heart of the European Green DealEN••• aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly.

Food systems cannot be resilient to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic if they are not sustainable. We need to redesign our food systems which today account for nearly one-third of global GHG emissions, consume large amounts of natural resources, result in biodiversity loss and negative health impacts (due to both under- and over-nutrition) and do not allow fair economic returns and livelihoods for all actors, in particular for primary producers.

Putting our food systems on a sustainable path also brings new opportunities for operators in the food value chain. New technologies and scientific discoveries, combined with increasing public awareness and demand for sustainable food, will benefit all stakeholders.

The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to accelerate our transition to a sustainable food system that should:

• have a neutral or positive environmental impact
• help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts
• reverse the loss of biodiversity
• ensure food security, nutrition and public health, making sure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food
• preserve affordability of food while generating fairer economic returns, fostering competitiveness of the EU supply sector and promoting fair trade

The strategy sets out both regulatory and non-regulatory initiatives, with the common agricultural and fisheries policies as key tools to support a just transition.

A proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systemsEN•••will be put forward to support implementation of the strategy and development of sustainable food policy. Taking stock of learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission will also develop a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food securityEN•••. The EU will support the global transitionEN••• to sustainable agri-food systems through its trade policies and international cooperation instruments.

To enable and accelerate the transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, advisory servicesEN•••, financial instrumentsEN•••, but also researchEN••• and innovation EN•••are instrumental as they can help resolve tensions, develop and test solutions, overcome barriers and uncover new market opportunities."


How did Defra get it so wrong.

Commission sets the carbon farming initiative in motion

Today the European Commission published the final report of a two-year study on how to set up and implement carbon farming in the EU. Building on this...

climate.ec.europa.eu

 

[delilah]

How did Defra get it so wrong.

Because they didn't listen to the sort of people who are driving that strategy you refer to (who, btw, are the sort of people widely derided on here).

They listened to farmers.

 

[J 1177]

Because they didn't listen to the sort of people who are driving that strategy you refer to (who, btw, are the sort of people widely derided on here).

They listened to farmers.

 

[delilah]

Go through the list of SFI standards. Pick out the ones that have generated the most debate on here. They weren't put in Janet's head by Friends of the Earth. They were put there by folks on here.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

That's a lot to read and take in
But as a short comment
Farm Assurance was started by a few
"farmers"

 

[andybk]

Go through the list of SFI standards. Pick out the ones that have generated the most debate on here. They weren't put in Janet's head by Friends of the Earth. They were put there by folks on here.

the Goldsmiths more like , through boris's wife

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Because they didn't listen to the sort of people who are driving that strategy you refer to (who, btw, are the sort of people widely derided on here).

They listened to farmers.

I think it comes from Defra having advisors such as Ben "the sheep have got to go" Goldsmith.

I'm obviously a bit biased being a shepherd, but sheep are the absolute bastion of sustainability [unless overgrazing is allowed].

I'm sure you don't consider him to be a 'greeny', but that's how he successfully wants to be seen.

 

[Nearly]

Populist dogma states that farming is responsible for 1/3 of greenhouse gases.
Food might be if you lump all fertiliser and food production and processing, distribution and every vegan fart together.
Farming may well be responsible for 1/3 of the carbon capture on the globe too.
Where is that mentioned?

I refuse to take any 'scheme' seriously that starts off with such a statement.

They're not rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. They're trying to get paid for us rearranging the chairs on the Lusitania.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Interestingly;

"To ensure that the F2F strategy does not lead to an increased dependency on food imports or an increase of the price for food, coordinated efforts at national and EU level are required together with the application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. Many of the more harmful pesticides (candidates for substitution) should be removed from the market in the coming 10 years. Alternatives to chemical pesticides supported by research, training of farmers and the implementation of Food Systems"


Unlike the UK, the EU is consciously trying to not increase imports but do admit that they do not want to increase food prices which would have achieved several of their stated aims such as reducing waste and increasing fairness.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Populist dogma states that farming is responsible for 1/3 of greenhouse gases.
Food might be if you lump all fertiliser and food production and processing, distribution and every vegan fart together.
Farming may well be responsible for 1/3 of the carbon capture on the globe too.
Where is that mentioned?

I refuse to take any 'scheme' seriously that starts off with such a statement.

They're not rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. They're trying to get paid for us rearranging the chairs on the Lusitania.

To be fair, it says food systems rather than farming.
That means it would include all the supermarkets etc.

 

[delilah]

I think it comes from Defra having advisors such as Ben "the sheep have got to go" Goldsmith.

the goldsmiths more like , through boris's wife

Don't be so soft.

Look at ELMS when it was first launched. A third of the money for LR. If the likes of the Goldsmiths were behind ELMS, then Janet would have ridden the storm out and left the £800m in place for their re-wilding etc.

She didn't, she changed it, and changed it again. Why ? Because farmers kept whispering in her ear, and do so to this day, that there are 'good' systems and there are 'bad' systems.

 

[delilah]

I'm sure you don't consider him to be a 'greeny', but that's how he successfully wants to be seen.

Damned right I don't. And if he wants to be seen like that, then he isn't. He is in the same category as the Moonbat; Ignored by those who are serious about food, farming and the environment.

I have said on here before that if you put Monbiot into 'search' on the below then you will see he is utterly irrelevant. Same applies if you put Goldsmith in.

https://www.sustainweb.org/about/

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Damned right I don't. And if he wants to be seen like that, then he isn't. He is in the same category as the Moonbat; Ignored by those who are serious about food, farming and the environment.

I have said on here before that if you put Monbiot into 'search' on the below then you will see he is utterly irrelevant. Same applies if you put Goldsmith in.

https://www.sustainweb.org/about/

But you can't choose who represents, or who people THINK represents a green agenda anymore than I choose who represents, or who people think represent farming.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Don't be so soft.

Look at ELMS when it was first launched. A third of the money for LR. If the likes of the Goldsmiths were behind ELMS, then Janet would have ridden the storm out and left the £800m in place for their re-wilding etc.

She didn't, she changed it, and changed it again. Why ? Because farmers kept whispering in her ear, and do so to this day, that there are 'good' systems and there are 'bad' systems.

You have missed the important bit.
When Gove first talked about introducing ELMS, he sounded like he was reading from the strategy in the first post.
Such as;

• have a neutral or positive environmental impact
• help to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts
• reverse the loss of biodiversity
• ensure food security, nutrition and public health, making sure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, nutritious, sustainable food
• preserve affordability of food while generating fairer economic returns, fostering competitiveness of the EU supply sector and promoting fair trade

Most of that disappeared before it was launched.
Farmer involvement has been merely testing the options that have already been chosen.

Also, the only payments that declined in CS were for grazing/ grassland.
The RPA seem to have decided that low input grassland must NOT be grazed for large parts of the year
and dairy farmers are being paid to NOT allow land to be grazed over winter.

I wonder where such anti-sheep ideas came from?

 

[7610 super q]

A quick glance, and it seems to suggest ( as per usual ) that there is something wrong with current agricultural practices. Whilst they ( or anyone else ) has this mindset, I'm out.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

A quick glance, and it seems to suggest ( as per usual ) that there is something wrong with current agricultural practices. Whilst they ( or anyone else ) has this mindset, I'm out.

Where does it say that?

 

[delilah]

But you can't choose who represents, or who people THINK represents a green agenda anymore than I choose who represents, or who people think represent farming.

Who thinks that Ben Goldsmith represents the 'green agenda' ? I know of no individual or organisation who does. Pertinent to this thread, Janet Hughes most certainly wont. Civil Servant. Leftie.

There is a mountain of evidence, on here, that it is farmers who are directly responsible for the sh!tfest that is the SFI.

 

[delilah]

Farmer involvement has been merely testing the options that have already been chosen.

No it hasn't.
Where did the issue that has dominated and distracted the development of the SFI - crop establishment methods - come from ?
Not Ben Goldsmith. Not Carrie. Not the Moonbat. Not the BBC.
Farmers, that's who. Farmers who are on here.

 

[delilah]

I wonder where such anti-sheep ideas came from?

You've got sheep. We've got sheep. I get the concerns. But they are baseless.

Go look at all of the SFI standards that will open gates for arable farmers to flood their land with sheep. The SFI may well be anti-small, and anti-upland, but it isn't anti-sheep.

So, go find the people who have engineered all of those arable SFI standards. They are the bogey men. Did I say. They are on here.

 

[Dave645]

Damned right I don't. And if he wants to be seen like that, then he isn't. He is in the same category as the Moonbat; Ignored by those who are serious about food, farming and the environment.

I have said on here before that if you put Monbiot into 'search' on the below then you will see he is utterly irrelevant. Same applies if you put Goldsmith in.

https://www.sustainweb.org/about/

a great group. . . profitable farming, should be on that list, but it never is, its always ideology. ideology is great as long as the people of the ground having to implement and live with it can make a living.
Monbiot as a person doesn't have to be at a meeting to have a voice, if I read his articles and agreed with them, then I can mirror his opinion as my own, so his opinion still spreads. its a typical power player move, push an idea into the media and as long as its taken and run with you can stand back and let it playout.