Welsh Government are about to introduce a new Agriculture Act; this will set out what support will be given to farmers in Wales. For many years we have been campaigning for the need to include the restoration of nature as a key outcome for farm support. Many farmers are already making a difference for nature through environmental schemes. However, there hasn’t been sufficient financing and action at scale to stop the loss of nature in our rural landscapes. This hasn’t been the fault of farming but a lack of ambition in farming policies. Only farmers can restore nature as 90% of Wales land is farmed, so we must give the right incentivise to restore nature
The nature crisis in Wales has been recognised by Welsh Government. Any crisis needs immediate action and at scale and pace, and the nature crisis is no different. If we are to see nature flourish again for future generations to enjoy, we need the right scale of farm support. The State of Nature Report 2019 highlighted nature’s decline in Wales, concluding that 1 in 6 species are at risk of extinction in Wales. Continued decline in quality and quantity of natural habitats will also have detrimental effects on everything from food to clean air, so the Agriculture (Wales) Bill is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put us on the right side of history.
Unfortunately, Welsh Government have missed this opportunity to restore nature by not including these words on the front of the Bill. So why are words so important? Legislation is there to enable the right responses or actions to happen. If nature’s restoration was used, then future farm support would need to be targeted to achieve this. Instead, weaker words to maintain and enhance are used. This is not suitable in a crisis as it reduces the impact the Bill will have on practical action to bring nature back to our countryside.
A key part of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill is the Sustainable Farming Scheme which will come into force in April 2025 and will change the way that farmers are paid. It’s important that farming and nature are connected strongly in the Bill; after all, many species in our countryside call agricultural land their home. Farmers need to be rewarded and recognised as custodians of the countryside. They also hold the key to helping society adapt to our changing climate, from holding back flood water to storing carbon in peat bogs.
