Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust calling on the UK Government to lessen risk to UK food production
Earlier this month, the UK Government published a new assessment of the threats facing UK Food Security, writes Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
The report states that “Long term decline in the UK’s natural capital is a pressing risk to UK food production,” and that, “Climate change, nature loss and water insecurity pose significant risks to the ability of global food production to meet demand over the longer term.”
This makes clear that restoration of nature – including vital natural habitats and the ecosystems we rely upon for life support through clean air and water plus healthy soils and rivers and much more, is critical to being able to sustainably feed ourselves in the future.
We are clear that there should be no trade-off between growing the food we need and efforts to restore nature. Such a trade-off would be counter-productive, and the new report signals that sustainable food production here in the UK is dependent on nature recovery.
To produce food we must have healthy soils, plentiful, safe and clean water free from pesticides and agricultural pollution. We must also have thriving insect populations. These are fundamental building blocks for successful farming.
It is therefore vital that the Government increase the pace and scale of support for nature-friendly farming. Here in England, concerns about the lack of certainty and delays in the implementation of new farm funding schemes continue to create problems for farmers and risk derailing the transition of farms to post-Brexit schemes.
Earlier this week, The Wildlife Trusts joined other environmental organisations to publish an open letter to the Environment Secretary, Stephen Reed, calling for more clarity and swift action to restore trust in future policy.
Uncertainty around more ambitious schemes which support the restoration of nature – Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery – has resulted in anxiety amongst the landowners most likely to be impacted by phasing out EU-era payments.
Information published just a few days ago confirms that Countryside Stewardship will reopen for applications next year, but a lack of clarity remains as to how many farmers will be able to enter and benefit from the scheme.
The Wildlife Trusts are calling on Government to urgently outline a crystal-clear future for nature-friendly farm schemes.
Farmers working on marginal land with low food production yields – but high potential for nature restoration – stand to gain most from ambitious new schemes, and the new report demonstrates that restoration of such land will also boost UK food security.
The restoration of habitats such as grasslands, woodlands and peatlands in more marginal areas can deliver outstanding outcomes for both wildlife and climate.
One example would be where more water is held back on land to create wildlife habitat and reduce flood risk for communities downstream – while at the same time providing farm businesses with a sustainable income in return for these societal benefits – often called public goods.
While there are plans for more ambitious schemes such as Higher Tier which enable this approach, Defra is currently woefully behind schedule with their implementation.
Efforts to pit food production against nature are a dangerous distraction and will slow progress towards nature recovery alongside sustainable farming systems.
In our experience here in Nottinghamshire, when farmers can readily access the support required, they are keen to embrace efforts to support nature.
Local reaction to support already in place – such as through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme – demonstrates that many farmers are keen to act for nature where support is available.
I recently visited two farms that have taken up options within the scheme – which includes payment for options such as planting cover crops to protect precious soils and sowing special mixes to help pollinators or provide food for birds in winter – and spoke to farmers who welcomed the flexibility of the scheme and were keen to do more for nature.
Although welcome, these schemes do not go far enough and the Government must now ramp up support for nature-friendly farming to build momentum to deliver the level of action needed to tackle the dual climate and biodiversity crises whilst guaranteeing our future food security and providing vulnerable farmers with vital income.
A link to the open letter to Stephen Reed OBE can be found at wildlifetrusts.org/news