There have been a fair few ways in which this government has not endeared itself to the farm community – the unexpected Inheritance Tax relief decisions, accelerated Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) cuts, capital grants pause, and the sudden pause on the Sustainable Farm Incentive Scheme (SFI) being big ones. The pause in the SFI in March was disastrous.  

It brought a big slice of the farm transition – with many farmers starting to try agri-environment schemes - to a terrible halt. Even farmers who had done half the application were left in the lurch.¹   

What should be happening

We know we need all farms, of all types and sizes, acting for nature, ecosystem recovery, nature-based flood management and for climate resilience. The farmers, workers and suppliers, need support to do this as the market won’t pay for the many vital things they can provide.  

Our research showed that the £2.5 billion a year in the current farming budget already falls short of what was needed to repair soils, rivers, habitats, beneficial insects and restore natural ecosystems overall. So, a significant cut to that would effectively hollow out the funding for this and remove all hope of reaching the Government’s targets for wildlife recovery.  

It would also leave farmers unsupported to adapt to extreme climate change and exposed to the whims of market forces demanding unsustainably low prices and specifications. Relying on private finance or handouts from other funding pots or other departments would just create more uncertainty and confusion.  

The higher ambition schemes, Countryside Stewardship, Landscape Recovery and old legacy schemes are also essential to support but are beginning to look hugely vulnerable. That’s a disaster for society as many provide vital water and flood management, carbon storage in peat and trees, nature corridors and so much more.  

Pauses and cuts have all created huge uncertainty. Farmers were already questioning what support is going to be available and what should they plant, leave, buy, hire and so on. 

They needed long term security of purpose and support, not stop-start policy changes ignoring the huge work they put in on developing the new schemes. 

United in opposing cuts 

With rumours of this very bad news, an unusual alliance of 50 organisations including The Wildlife Trusts and RSPB joined forces with the NFU, and other farming groups to show a united front. They spoke as one to the media and to MPs in Parliament about the risks from further cuts to the farming budget would mean.  

The united message from the alliance of green groups alongside farming organisations was clear. The farming transition – funded by the budget and transfers from the old income supports (the Basic Payment Scheme) - has so much riding on it. Its success or failure will determine whether rural economies thrive or wither, and whether targets to recover nature are met or missed, and whether we can feed ourselves healthily and affordably in the next years.  

The UK’s legal commitments under its own Environment Act, climate budgets, global targets and more also depend on it. 

Two jobs any government has – to protect its citizens from harm and ensure they can eat well – are both massively dependant on a resilient and confident farming system which provides healthy food ingredients², and which that protecting the ecosystems on which we depend for food and wellbeing. It should be top of their list.