The £500m Budget plan that is something to cheer about - at last: Stuart Minting
As the dust continues to settle on last week’s ridiculed Budget, it was heartening to hear the Government announce proposals for a “greener and more prosperous future” with its latest Environmental Improvement Plan.
That £500m is to be invested in landscape-scale nature recovery across England is a shot in the arm for those committed to cleaning up rivers and air and seeking more nature and wildlife.
While some farmers have questioned the pace of progress of some Landscape Recovery schemes, its importance alongside Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), in delivering positive outcomes for nature alongside sustainable food production should not be underestimated.
More than half of farmland is already in one of these schemes, and with an improved SFI offer opening next year, vast tracts of Yorkshire are likely to be added.
The five-year Environment Improvement Plan roadmap sets out to tackle the nature and climate crisis, improve public health, and support sustainable growth. On the face of it, the plan should lead to benefits far beyond the farm gates.
For example, its work to tackle fine particulate pollution, which has been linked to asthma, lung disease, and heart conditions, will see pollutants cut by 30 per cent by 2030 if the plan's targets are met. It is hoped this work for a healthier environment will reduce pressure on the NHS.
The creation and restoration of a quarter of a million hectares of wildlife-rich habitats by 2030 represents an extra 110,000 hectares of habitat more than Defra had previously committed to.
Additionally, a revised target to tackle the spread of invasive non-native species, such as American Signal Crayfish, Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam, will give much needed help to native species while safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods.
Key to the plan’s success will be how Defra work to manage the different demands within the clusters of farms most projects involve.
Groups of neighbouring farms working together across whole catchments is a relatively new concept.
Nevertheless, farmers’ leaders have underlined that these landscapes only still exist due to the efforts of farmers while also producing food. So policies and actions that further agricultural enterprises’ confidence, viability and bolster food security will be crucial in response to the multi-faceted environmental crisis.
This plan would appear to be a step in the right direction and it can only be hoped farmers with different priorities will be able to successfully collaborate to produce the much-needed results it sets out to achieve.