ON THE FARM WITH ADAM
HOPE AS A NEW ERA IN UK FARMING DAWNS
How leaving the EU will change the way farmers are paid subsidies.
It’s been called “historic”, a “landmark moment” and “a new era”, so expectations are high that the UK Government’s deal for post-Brexit farming will deliver. After two years and more than 100 hours of debate in Parliament, the Agriculture Act finally became law at the end of last year.
Uncoupling British food and farming from the EU was never going to be easy and creating something new was always going to mean a massive shake-up for the industry. The intricacies of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) never made exciting headlines, but when the new act gained royal assent I was surprised at how little notice was taken of such a big moment for British farming. And it is momentous.
At the heart of the changes is the issue of farm subsidies and replacing the EU’s system of annual payments based on land size and production with one centred on “public money for public goods”. European subsidies have always been a controversial topic, but the truth is that British farmers have received taxpayers’ money for generations, long before we ever considered joining the then Common Market. There are very few economic experts who think the industry could remain productive and competitive in the modern world without incentives of some sort.
“Public money” is easy to understand, but what are “public goods”? In simple terms, it’s work to support sustainability, improve the environment, promote biodiversity or help wildlife, so thoughts are turning to flood prevention, wildflower meadows and schemes that benefit birds, bees and butterflies. Of course, farmers have been working to help the environment for decades.
Despite reassurances from Whitehall, there are concerns from some farmers about the seven-year timescale for phasing out the old payments in England (different schemes will apply in the devolved nations), a lack of detail on exactly what they’ll be paid for and how much they’ll receive under the new scheme. The new Trade and Agriculture Commission has been strengthened in answer to critics worried about food standards and security, but not everyone is confident that British producers still won’t be disadvantaged in future trade deals with other countries.
FORWARD THINKING
This new way of working and rewarding farmers won’t suit everyone; some will be unable or unwilling to make the change and it’s inevitable that a percentage will decide to leave the industry altogether. So it’s interesting that a lump-sum payment is being offered to anyone who wants to call it a day, giving them the chance to “retire with dignity”. Ordinarily I’d say we need to encourage as many people as possible to keep farming. But if this ‘exit’ scheme means more opportunities for young entrepreneurial farmers then it could be a positive step.
This is the first British Agriculture Act for more than 70 years; the last one was part of Clement Attlee’s sweeping post-war reforms when the way we farmed, our place in the world and the state of the planet were entirely different. I love farming and I think British farmers produce the best-quality food globally. So, like everyone, I want this major shift in policy to be a success on the ground. But we’ll have to wait a while before we know for sure.
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