Written by Charlotte Cunningham
A future where farmers are properly supported to farm more innovatively and protect the environment is a step closer today following the introduction of the Agriculture Bill. Charlotte Cunningham reports. The landmark legislation introduced today (16 Jan) is claimed to provide a boost to the industry after years of inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy dictated to farmers by the EU, according to Defra. It sets out how farmers and land managers in England will in the future be rewarded with public money for “public goods” – such as better air and water quality, higher animal welfare standards, improved access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding. This will contribute to the government’s commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, while at the same time, helping to boost farmers’ productivity. This will replace the current subsidy system of Direct Payments which pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed, skewing payments towards the largest landowners rather than those farmers delivering specific public benefits. Instead, the new measures will provide a better future for agriculture in this country, maximising the potential of the land for food production and for delivering public goods. Commitment to farm support The reforms set…
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