Help farmers to save the planet

At least £3billion a year is needed to deliver nature-friendly farming across the UK that restores wildlife and tackles climate change, conservationists have said.

The RSPB, National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts want a long-term government financial commitment to help farmers revive nature.

In England, the Government plans to switch after Brexit to a subsidy system which pays farmers to deliver public goods such as wildlife habitats, carbon storage and flood prevention.

The charities say the £3.2billion spent Uk-wide on farm support and environmental payments under the current EU system must be reinvested in helping farmers produce food in a way that helps nature. They say that new proposed land management schemes and other measures would cost at least £2.9billion across the UK, and such funding must be guaranteed for at least 10 years.