Nature will suffer
if farms
fund falls,
says study

The overwhelming majority of farmers say environmental work on their farms would be cut if payments for wildlife-friendly farming, known as agri-environment schemes, were stopped or reduced.

A study of farmers carried out by a wildlife charity confirmed fears that environmental management could be badly hit if funding for such schemes is cut.

This year sees the 25th anniversary of agri-environment schemes in England, and many such have delivered fantastic results for nature, but rather than protect and boost this vital source of funding, signals from Europe’s politicians, including our own, point to an uncertain future.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The questionnaire, to understand how farmers value agri-environment support, was carried out by the RSPB.

Results showed that 51 per cent of farmers asked believe the environmental work would be impacted ‘severely’, and seven per cent think it would ‘stop’ altogether.

Only four per cent said environmental work on their farms would be unaffected by cuts to agri-environment schemes.

A reduction of this amount could spell disaster for wildlife in England, and the rest of Europe, the RSPB said, as well as being important for widespread but declining species such as the skylark and yellowhammer, 
agri-environment schemes are essential for less well-known species including corn bunting.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Martin Harper, the RSPB’s director of conservation, said: “Our big worry right now is that the cuts to European and domestic budgets could mean the largest single budget for wildlife conservation in the UK will soon be much diminished.

“We wanted to know what that might mean for wildlife friendly farmers and I think the results of this survey are loud and clear – it would be a disaster.”