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Plans to boost productivity while protecting the
environment set out at Oxford Farming Conference
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The Agriculture Bill will be introduced this month to
harness opportunities of Brexit
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The Government will work with farmers on a future
system to replace the unfair Common Agricultural
Policy
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Guarantees to uphold our high environmental and animal
welfare standards
Radical changes to agricultural policy will
protect the environment for future generations while boosting
productivity for farmers, Environment Secretary will say
today.
Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, the
Environment Secretary will confirm that the Government’s landmark
Agriculture Bill will be introduced this month to
Parliament.
This will move the UK away from the EU’s
bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy and towards a new
approach where farmers and land managers are rewarded with public
money for ‘public goods’ – such as enhancing biodiversity,
tackling climate change and raising standards of animal
welfare.
At the same time, outside the EU farmers and
land managers will have greater opportunities to boost their
productivity, leading to more successful and resilient farm
businesses.
In England, there will be a seven-year
transition period for farmers to plan and adjust for these
changes, during which Direct Payments will be gradually phased
out.
Throughout 2020, the Government will be
seeking views from farmers and land managers in England on how
the future Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme can best
work for them.
In her speech, the Environment Secretary will
urge farmers to seize the opportunities to rethink agricultural
policy for the first time in 40 years, and to be bold and
innovative in the proposals they put forward.
Speaking at the Oxford Farming
Conference, Environment Secretary is expected to
say:
“We want our new scheme to deliver value for
money as well as boosting sustainable productivity to support
farmers in their work of feeding the nation.
“Our proposals for Environmental Land
Management will be one of the most important environmental
reforms for 40 years.
“The process we are about to embark on will, I
hope, provide an example to others around the world of what can
be achieved if we rethink how we manage the land and produce our
food.
“We have the potential to create a virtuous
circle between agriculture, tackling climate change, protecting
biodiversity, and securing investment in our rural
economy.”
To provide support to farmers in the lead up
to, and during, this transformation, the Environment Secretary
will confirm the Government will guarantee the current annual
budget for farmers in every year of the Parliament.
Addressing the conference, the Environment
Secretary will also reaffirm the Government’s commitment to
protect the high standards of British farming as the UK leaves
the European Union.
She will emphasise how our farmers will lead
the way in environmental and animal welfare standards after
Brexit, and the Government will stand firm in trade negotiations
to ensure that future trade deals live up to the values of
farmers and consumers across the UK.
In her speech, she is expected to go on
to say:
“Our strong British food brand is built on the
high standards to which we hold ourselves.
“We can maintain and indeed enhance UK
standards as we negotiate new trading relationships with friends
and neighbours in the EU and leading global economies.”
