Come what May
DEFRA Secretary Michael Gove issued a call to arms for Theresa May’s Brexit plan when addressing landowners at the CLA conference in London last week. Mr Gove, whose department oversees Britain’s biggest export industry, said a no-deal Brexit ‘should be taken off the table’. He appeared in line with farming leaders, who warn of ‘Armageddon’ (Minette Batters interview, September 26): ‘No deal would be extremely challenging for the foodand-drink industry. The deal [Mrs May’s] is not perfect, but it brings all sorts of benefits. If you agree with me, have a friendly word with your MP.’
The CLA has called for longer time frames on agri-environment schemes and Mr Gove reiterated that Brexit is a chance to improve an unsatisfactory payment system. He suggested the new ELMS (Environmental Land Management schemes) should be treated like ‘a fourth crop’, saying: ‘It should be payment by results. If we see curlews return, you should be rewarded for that rather than for ticking a box on a form.’
When asked how confident he was about getting Treasury support for ELMS, Mr Gove said: ‘We are the first generation likely to die from lifestyle choice rather than contractable disease and need to make an argument to the Treasury that we’re safeguarding public health as well as improving the environment.’
He said that, despite the rural economy forming 16% of GDP, ‘we need to do better’. His ambitions include more ‘vertical farming’—growing crops, such as salads, indoors in layers—and gene editing. ‘I think we can overcome some of the reservations. It would allow us to give Mother Nature a helping hand, reduce chemical use and improve productivity. This country has been at the heart of previous industrial revolutions and it can be again.’ KG