Our response to the consultation on the future of farming policy

The farming consultation is now closed. Thank you to all of you who responded individually - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to shape future farming policy. You can read our full response to the consultation, as well as a summary, below.

The Government consultation on the future of farming 'Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit' ended on 8 May. It asked people for their views on where public money, in the form of support to farmers, will be spent in the future. It will also help to establish how the rules and standards for land management should be set and enforced - for example how chemicals are used and soil is managed. The Wildlife Trusts believe that a healthy natural environment is the foundation of our farming systems; we depend on it, and it depends on us. We need to create a food and farming system that sustains and restores wildlife while producing healthy food. This is the first time the Government has written a national farming policy for decades. 

Thousands of farmers work hard to help wildlife on their farms. The right farming policy can help to make that impact much bigger. 

Our key points are: 

• Reward farmers and land managers for the benefits they provide for society, like clean water, healthy soils and a wildlife-rich countryside.
• Replace the current Common Agricultural Policy with a system that supports public benefits and environmental outcomes for society.
• Make it easier for farmers to help nature - through changing the culture of regulation, including through better use of technology.

Response to Defra’s consultation

Response to Defra’s consultation: SUMMARY