Latest news with #Elms
South Wales Guardian
29-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Cutting nature-friendly farming budget would be ‘devastating', Government warned
Environmentalists warned that cutting the spend on the post-Brexit farming schemes, which pay farmers and landowners to deliver public goods such as hedgerows, wildflower habitat and clean water, would 'remove all hope' of the Government meeting targets to reverse nature's declines. And farmers, who have already been hit by changes to inheritance tax and the abrupt closure of this year's sustainable farming incentive (SFI), the biggest strand of the environmental land management scheme (Elms), said cuts would be 'disastrous'. The warnings come in the face of reports that the Environment Department (Defra's) nature-friendly farming budget, which has replaced EU agricultural subsidies based mostly on the amount of land farmed, will be cut in the forthcoming spending review. The Government announced a 'record' £5 billion spending over two years on sustainable farming, but the long term future of the funding looks threatened by looming departmental cuts, while there are concerns cash could be targeted at small farms or in certain areas rather than across the countryside. Environmentalists warned that the nature-friendly farming budget was the UK's biggest spend on nature and, with 70% of land used for farming, key to meeting the Government's manifesto pledge to achieve targets to halt declines in nature by 2030. Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, says: 'Rumours of further cuts to the farming budget are deeply concerning and, if true, would cripple funding for restoring nature and remove all hope of reaching the Government's targets for wildlife recovery.' He warned the £2.5 billion a year in the current farming budget 'already falls short' of what was needed, adding: 'Whittling this down further will see progress stall and reverse.' 'If the cuts go ahead, the Government's promise to bring back wildlife will be in tatters – and farmers will be left unsupported to adapt to extreme climate change and exposed to the whims of market forces demanding unsustainable and intensified food production.' Richard Benwell, chief of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Cutting the nature-friendly farming budget would be devastating for nature, farmers and rural communities.' He said that a transition to nature-friendly farming could help reverse declines in rivers, woodland, wildflowers and wildlife, at the same time as reducing air, soil and water pollution, and supporting a thriving profitable farming sector and rural communities. 'But without a decent budget to pay farmers for the environmental benefits they provide, the future of entire ecosystems will be in doubt.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said: 'These cuts would be disastrous if implemented, with the negative impact felt far beyond farming and reaching the wider public. 'Investing in nature-friendly farming helps protect communities from the devastation of flooding. 'It reduces the impact of climate change by protecting and restoring carbon-storing habitats such as peatland. 'It also supports the delivery of affordable, renewable energy.' He said that if the Government was serious about sustainable growth and long-term food production, it needed to invest in England's landscapes, adding: 'Farmers are ready to play their part, but they are being let down by ministers turning off the funding tap. 'The simplest, most cost-effective solution to the problems we face is to invest now. 'If we fail to act, and wait until the impacts of climate change worsen, the cost will be far higher,' he warned. National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said: 'Alongside numerous rural, environmental and nature groups, including the RSPB and National Trust, we have repeatedly called for government to honour its commitments, with budget and partnership, to protect nature and restore habitats through agriculture. 'But without funding, this will be government giving up on its own environmental targets – targets which it relied on farmers to deliver.' He warned that farmers would be left 'prioritising economic returns and balancing tough choices between farming the land as hard as they can just to make a living and continuing to focus on environmental works they have been proud to deliver'. And he said farms of all sizes had a key role in helping deliver for food, nature and climate. Defra said it would not comment on speculation.
South Wales Argus
29-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Cutting nature-friendly farming budget would be ‘devastating', Government warned
Environmentalists warned that cutting the spend on the post-Brexit farming schemes, which pay farmers and landowners to deliver public goods such as hedgerows, wildflower habitat and clean water, would 'remove all hope' of the Government meeting targets to reverse nature's declines. And farmers, who have already been hit by changes to inheritance tax and the abrupt closure of this year's sustainable farming incentive (SFI), the biggest strand of the environmental land management scheme (Elms), said cuts would be 'disastrous'. The warnings come in the face of reports that the Environment Department (Defra's) nature-friendly farming budget, which has replaced EU agricultural subsidies based mostly on the amount of land farmed, will be cut in the forthcoming spending review. Nature-friendly farming schemes pay for measures such as cover crops to support healthy soils and wildlife and reduce flood risk (Emily Beament/PA) The Government announced a 'record' £5 billion spending over two years on sustainable farming, but the long term future of the funding looks threatened by looming departmental cuts, while there are concerns cash could be targeted at small farms or in certain areas rather than across the countryside. Environmentalists warned that the nature-friendly farming budget was the UK's biggest spend on nature and, with 70% of land used for farming, key to meeting the Government's manifesto pledge to achieve targets to halt declines in nature by 2030. Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, says: 'Rumours of further cuts to the farming budget are deeply concerning and, if true, would cripple funding for restoring nature and remove all hope of reaching the Government's targets for wildlife recovery.' He warned the £2.5 billion a year in the current farming budget 'already falls short' of what was needed, adding: 'Whittling this down further will see progress stall and reverse.' 'If the cuts go ahead, the Government's promise to bring back wildlife will be in tatters – and farmers will be left unsupported to adapt to extreme climate change and exposed to the whims of market forces demanding unsustainable and intensified food production.' Richard Benwell, chief of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Cutting the nature-friendly farming budget would be devastating for nature, farmers and rural communities.' He said that a transition to nature-friendly farming could help reverse declines in rivers, woodland, wildflowers and wildlife, at the same time as reducing air, soil and water pollution, and supporting a thriving profitable farming sector and rural communities. 'But without a decent budget to pay farmers for the environmental benefits they provide, the future of entire ecosystems will be in doubt.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said: 'These cuts would be disastrous if implemented, with the negative impact felt far beyond farming and reaching the wider public. 'Investing in nature-friendly farming helps protect communities from the devastation of flooding. 'It reduces the impact of climate change by protecting and restoring carbon-storing habitats such as peatland. 'It also supports the delivery of affordable, renewable energy.' He said that if the Government was serious about sustainable growth and long-term food production, it needed to invest in England's landscapes, adding: 'Farmers are ready to play their part, but they are being let down by ministers turning off the funding tap. 'The simplest, most cost-effective solution to the problems we face is to invest now. 'If we fail to act, and wait until the impacts of climate change worsen, the cost will be far higher,' he warned. National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said: 'Alongside numerous rural, environmental and nature groups, including the RSPB and National Trust, we have repeatedly called for government to honour its commitments, with budget and partnership, to protect nature and restore habitats through agriculture. 'But without funding, this will be government giving up on its own environmental targets – targets which it relied on farmers to deliver.' He warned that farmers would be left 'prioritising economic returns and balancing tough choices between farming the land as hard as they can just to make a living and continuing to focus on environmental works they have been proud to deliver'. And he said farms of all sizes had a key role in helping deliver for food, nature and climate. Defra said it would not comment on speculation.
Western Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Cutting nature-friendly farming budget would be ‘devastating', Government warned
Environmentalists warned that cutting the spend on the post-Brexit farming schemes, which pay farmers and landowners to deliver public goods such as hedgerows, wildflower habitat and clean water, would 'remove all hope' of the Government meeting targets to reverse nature's declines. And farmers, who have already been hit by changes to inheritance tax and the abrupt closure of this year's sustainable farming incentive (SFI), the biggest strand of the environmental land management scheme (Elms), said cuts would be 'disastrous'. More Stories The warnings come in the face of reports that the Environment Department (Defra's) nature-friendly farming budget, which has replaced EU agricultural subsidies based mostly on the amount of land farmed, will be cut in the forthcoming spending review. Nature-friendly farming schemes pay for measures such as cover crops to support healthy soils and wildlife and reduce flood risk (Emily Beament/PA) The Government announced a 'record' £5 billion spending over two years on sustainable farming, but the long term future of the funding looks threatened by looming departmental cuts, while there are concerns cash could be targeted at small farms or in certain areas rather than across the countryside. Environmentalists warned that the nature-friendly farming budget was the UK's biggest spend on nature and, with 70% of land used for farming, key to meeting the Government's manifesto pledge to achieve targets to halt declines in nature by 2030. Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, says: 'Rumours of further cuts to the farming budget are deeply concerning and, if true, would cripple funding for restoring nature and remove all hope of reaching the Government's targets for wildlife recovery.' He warned the £2.5 billion a year in the current farming budget 'already falls short' of what was needed, adding: 'Whittling this down further will see progress stall and reverse.' 'If the cuts go ahead, the Government's promise to bring back wildlife will be in tatters – and farmers will be left unsupported to adapt to extreme climate change and exposed to the whims of market forces demanding unsustainable and intensified food production.' Richard Benwell, chief of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Cutting the nature-friendly farming budget would be devastating for nature, farmers and rural communities.' He said that a transition to nature-friendly farming could help reverse declines in rivers, woodland, wildflowers and wildlife, at the same time as reducing air, soil and water pollution, and supporting a thriving profitable farming sector and rural communities. 'But without a decent budget to pay farmers for the environmental benefits they provide, the future of entire ecosystems will be in doubt.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said: 'These cuts would be disastrous if implemented, with the negative impact felt far beyond farming and reaching the wider public. 'Investing in nature-friendly farming helps protect communities from the devastation of flooding. 'It reduces the impact of climate change by protecting and restoring carbon-storing habitats such as peatland. 'It also supports the delivery of affordable, renewable energy.' He said that if the Government was serious about sustainable growth and long-term food production, it needed to invest in England's landscapes, adding: 'Farmers are ready to play their part, but they are being let down by ministers turning off the funding tap. 'The simplest, most cost-effective solution to the problems we face is to invest now. 'If we fail to act, and wait until the impacts of climate change worsen, the cost will be far higher,' he warned. National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said: 'Alongside numerous rural, environmental and nature groups, including the RSPB and National Trust, we have repeatedly called for government to honour its commitments, with budget and partnership, to protect nature and restore habitats through agriculture. 'But without funding, this will be government giving up on its own environmental targets – targets which it relied on farmers to deliver.' He warned that farmers would be left 'prioritising economic returns and balancing tough choices between farming the land as hard as they can just to make a living and continuing to focus on environmental works they have been proud to deliver'. And he said farms of all sizes had a key role in helping deliver for food, nature and climate. Defra said it would not comment on speculation.
Glasgow Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Cutting nature-friendly farming budget would be ‘devastating', Government warned
Environmentalists warned that cutting the spend on the post-Brexit farming schemes, which pay farmers and landowners to deliver public goods such as hedgerows, wildflower habitat and clean water, would 'remove all hope' of the Government meeting targets to reverse nature's declines. And farmers, who have already been hit by changes to inheritance tax and the abrupt closure of this year's sustainable farming incentive (SFI), the biggest strand of the environmental land management scheme (Elms), said cuts would be 'disastrous'. The warnings come in the face of reports that the Environment Department (Defra's) nature-friendly farming budget, which has replaced EU agricultural subsidies based mostly on the amount of land farmed, will be cut in the forthcoming spending review. Nature-friendly farming schemes pay for measures such as cover crops to support healthy soils and wildlife and reduce flood risk (Emily Beament/PA) The Government announced a 'record' £5 billion spending over two years on sustainable farming, but the long term future of the funding looks threatened by looming departmental cuts, while there are concerns cash could be targeted at small farms or in certain areas rather than across the countryside. Environmentalists warned that the nature-friendly farming budget was the UK's biggest spend on nature and, with 70% of land used for farming, key to meeting the Government's manifesto pledge to achieve targets to halt declines in nature by 2030. Barnaby Coupe, senior land use policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, says: 'Rumours of further cuts to the farming budget are deeply concerning and, if true, would cripple funding for restoring nature and remove all hope of reaching the Government's targets for wildlife recovery.' He warned the £2.5 billion a year in the current farming budget 'already falls short' of what was needed, adding: 'Whittling this down further will see progress stall and reverse.' 'If the cuts go ahead, the Government's promise to bring back wildlife will be in tatters – and farmers will be left unsupported to adapt to extreme climate change and exposed to the whims of market forces demanding unsustainable and intensified food production.' Richard Benwell, chief of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'Cutting the nature-friendly farming budget would be devastating for nature, farmers and rural communities.' He said that a transition to nature-friendly farming could help reverse declines in rivers, woodland, wildflowers and wildlife, at the same time as reducing air, soil and water pollution, and supporting a thriving profitable farming sector and rural communities. 'But without a decent budget to pay farmers for the environmental benefits they provide, the future of entire ecosystems will be in doubt.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said: 'These cuts would be disastrous if implemented, with the negative impact felt far beyond farming and reaching the wider public. 'Investing in nature-friendly farming helps protect communities from the devastation of flooding. 'It reduces the impact of climate change by protecting and restoring carbon-storing habitats such as peatland. 'It also supports the delivery of affordable, renewable energy.' He said that if the Government was serious about sustainable growth and long-term food production, it needed to invest in England's landscapes, adding: 'Farmers are ready to play their part, but they are being let down by ministers turning off the funding tap. 'The simplest, most cost-effective solution to the problems we face is to invest now. 'If we fail to act, and wait until the impacts of climate change worsen, the cost will be far higher,' he warned. National Farmers' Union president Tom Bradshaw said: 'Alongside numerous rural, environmental and nature groups, including the RSPB and National Trust, we have repeatedly called for government to honour its commitments, with budget and partnership, to protect nature and restore habitats through agriculture. 'But without funding, this will be government giving up on its own environmental targets – targets which it relied on farmers to deliver.' He warned that farmers would be left 'prioritising economic returns and balancing tough choices between farming the land as hard as they can just to make a living and continuing to focus on environmental works they have been proud to deliver'. And he said farms of all sizes had a key role in helping deliver for food, nature and climate. Defra said it would not comment on speculation.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Around 3,000 farmers can apply for closed nature farming scheme after ‘error'
Thousands of farmers who had started applications for nature-friendly farming payments before the scheme was abruptly shut will have the chance to apply for funding. The Government caused uproar when it announced on March 11 that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers in England for 'public goods' such as insecticide-free farming, wildflower strips and managing ponds and hedgerows, was fully allocated for this year. At the time it said it had stopped accepting new applications for the incentive – the largest part of the new environmental land management (Elms) programme which has replaced EU-era farming subsidies – with immediate effect. But ministers have apologised for confusion caused by a message 'shown in error' when people started an application and saved it, which told them they would receive six weeks' notice if the Government needed to close applications. The message, which was shown alongside one correctly telling farmers their application would be available for two months before being deleted if not submitted, 'should not have been included and I apologise for the confusion it caused', food security and rural affairs minister Daniel Zeichner said. Around 3,000 farmers who started applications after January 12 but had not submitted them when the scheme was halted will now be able to apply for funding up to £9,300 a year – the average value for existing agreements for this year – with restrictions. Mr Zeichner acknowledged the restrictions were not in the original scheme but said they had been put in place to be fair and reasonable to affected applicants while also 'ensuring the prudent use of public money'. In a written ministerial statement Mr Zeichner said the budget for this year's scheme had already been fully allocated and the extra applications would have to be funded from other areas of the Environment Department (Defra's) budget. He also said that 'every penny' committed through more than 37,000 live SFI agreements that were in place before March 11 would continue to be paid to farmers over the coming years, and all eligible applications submitted before applications closed had been taken forward. The Government is planning to reform the SFI scheme and has promised to provide more details about the new programme later in the summer. The announcement comes after the National Farmers' Union (NFU) co-ordinated threatened legal action over Defra's failure to give the proper notice period for the closure of the scheme, claiming more than 6,000 farmers had started applications when the scheme was suddenly scrapped. NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: 'The Government's abrupt and wholly unacceptable decision to close the scheme was always wrong. 'While it's good to see an acknowledgement that the decision to close the scheme was flawed, we are disappointed by the constraints imposed which will still leave many farmers unfairly disadvantaged. 'This is a really critical time for the farming industry, and while today's announcement falls short of what our members deserve, this issue highlights the NFU at its very best, working with its members to stand up for what we believe is right.' Martin Lines, chief executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said: 'The Government's decision to review the position of farmers who had started to put SFI applications in is welcome. 'The speed of closure was harsh and didn't give the six weeks' notification stated on the website. 'However, this doesn't help all the farmers who were not able to get their applications started due to work pressures. There is also a clear need to improve the system for SFI.'
