Traditional farming ‘would save land from soil erosion’

FARMERS must return to pre-industrial methods to save an area of farmland the size of Yorkshire from being lost to further soil erosion, a new report has claimed.

The Back to the Land report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) sets out five recommendations for reducing loss of soil.

These include planting trees on farmland, and a return to pasture-based livestock as a way to improve the health of soil, which is made when animals mulch fallen leaves under-hoof.

The rewetting of peatland is also suggested as a way to improve Britain’s soil.

Graeme Willis, senior rural policy campaigner at the CPRE, called on the Government to take action, stating that up to a third of Britain’s farmland is at risk from further soil erosion.

“For far too long we have been ignoring the fragility of such a precious commodity. Only now is the Government starting to address the damage decades of neglect has caused.

“Ensuring our soils are healthy is crucial if we are to effectively tackle climate change – or mitigate its worst effects.

“New agriculture policy must promote measures that support farmers to sustainably manage, protect and

‘For far too long we have been ignoring the fragility of such a precious commodity’

regenerate soils, and drive carbon from the atmosphere back into the ground.”

Last week Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, launched a wideranging new report into how climate change will affect the UK, which included a plan for farmers to receive payments for measures such as growing cover crops to protect soil and planting trees on agricultural land.