A WILDLIFE charity is calling for greater support for farmers if 30 per cent of land and sea protections for nature by 2030 is to be reached.
Wiltshire has a proud farming tradition which has been in place for thousands of years and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust said it is concerned about the slow progress and the lack of clarity for farmers which is important if sustainable and regenerative farming approaches are to work.
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Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s CEO, Gary Mantle recently attended the Oxford Real Farming Conference which connects those in the UK who wish to transform the food and farming system.
He said: "The atmosphere at the conference was very encouraging. It is clear that an agro-ecological approach to farming is becoming much more mainstream, and I was really encouraged by the number of young people coming into farming.
“It was inspiring to hear how more farmers are looking for creative ways to respond to the nature and climate crisis. There were many examples of farmers restoring nature on their land and capturing more carbon whilst still producing good quality food.
“From creating hedgerows and planting trees to introducing flower-rich grass areas on the edge of fields, nature-friendly farming is already happening across the country, but more support is needed to make a landscape-scale change.”
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At the biodiversity summit in Montreal, Canada last year (COP15), the UK signed up to an international agreement to protect 30 per cent of land and sea for nature by 2030 as well as to ensure a 50 per cent reduction from the risk of harmful chemicals by the end of the decade.
Farming minister Mark Spencer announced additional payments for farmers up to £1,000 per year to cover administrative costs of entering the Sustainable Farming Incentive of ELMs and an additional increase of 10 per cent for those already engaged in the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
There would also be an increase of 48 per cent in capital payment rates for one-off projects such as hedgerow creation.
See also: CPRE Wiltshire welcomes cash to boost hedgerows in the county
Mr Mantle said: “Whilst it is encouraging that the government is engaging with the farming community and recognising the crucial part farmers can play in nature’s recovery, the agri support payments announced are nowhere near enough to meet the UK’s commitments to protect 30% of land for nature and halve the risk from harmful chemicals.
“A scheme which was meant to be simpler, with less paperwork for farmers, now requires £1,000 to cover administrative costs, which will reduce the money to spend on actual enhancements. We are concerned that these cash incentives will be to the detriment of more ambitious landscape scale projects crucial to nature’s recovery – and to sustainable food production.
“We want to see more support for farmers to enable them to transition to an Integrated Pest Management system with less reliance on harmful chemicals such as pesticides and artificial fertilizers. With appropriate support, Integrated Pest Management could become the mainstream approach. This would be very good news for butterflies, bees and other invertebrates which have decreased dramatically in recent years.”
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