SFI27: NFU has put farmers' ball firmly in the Government's court
Well played, NFU. Well played. Chapeau might be cycling’s equivalent nod of appreciation to the National Farmers’ Union’s manoeuverings that leave this Government in no doubt: if it is serious about realising its legally-binding environmental targets then it will have to put its money where its mouth is.
SFI27, SFI being the Sustainable Farming Incentive, must be offered in the region of £1bn if farmers are to stand a cat-in-hell’s-chance of getting through the work that is needed to make good on that which has been asked of them.
At this stage, it should be said, farmers are not in adversarial mood, rather a mood of pragmatism. Agri-environmentalism is an opportunity like few others in the countryside. From re-wilding to re-populating, flora to fauna. The array of contributions to improving the natural environment, protecting species and, downstream, protecting homes and businesses from the floodwater is infinite.
For as many years as the history of this newspaper can trace back, it has been committed to reminding policy-makers that when farmers invest, it is not merely for the benefit of those who reside inside the stonewalls of the farm and its five-bar-gate.
By working with farmers, Governments can pay forwards ecological enrichment, domestic food resilience and community cohesion. Long-term, stable, meaningful financial support will also contribute to research, development and the export of world class knowledge, methods, products and services. The question now remains, particularly given the friction between this Labour Government and farmers: does it want to collaborate on positive outcomes, or does it simply want a fight?