Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe SmithOn 26th January 2023, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set out detailed plans for the nation's farming sector, supporting farmers to be profitable and resilient as they produce food sustainably, while protecting nature and enhancing the environment.
The Government has accelerated the roll out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, a key part of the Government's Environmental Land Management schemes, providing new sets of paid actions to support food production and environmentally responsible farming.
I am confident that these incentives will make food production more resilient and efficient over the longer term whilst contributing towards the UK's environmental goals on carbon, biodiversity, water quality and net zero. Together this will safeguard the long-term prosperity of the farming industry and protect the environment for future generations.
The Environment Secretary said: "Farmers are at the heart of our economy - producing the food on our tables as well as being the custodians of the land it comes from. These two roles go hand-in-hand and we are speeding up the roll out of our farming schemes so that everyone can be financially supported as they protect the planet while producing food more sustainably."
Six additional standards will be added to the Sustainable Farming Incentive this year, meaning farmers can receive payment for actions on hedgerows, grassland, arable and horticultural land and nutrient management. They will build on the three existing standards to improve soil health and moorlands introduced in 2022.
The Government has also detailed what farmers will be paid to deliver through an enhanced version of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which will see around 30 additional actions available to farmers by the end of 2024. The expansion builds on the more than 250 actions farmers can take at present with the scheme seeing a 94% increase in uptake since 2020 and is now part of thousands of farm businesses.
Countryside Stewardship Plus will reward farmers for taking coordinated action, working with neighbouring farms and landowners to support climate and nature aims. It will deliver the same high environmental ambition previously planned for Local Nature Recovery, including managing floodplain meadows to reduce flood risk and improve biodiversity, restoring and maintaining peatland for carbon capture and storage, and enhancing and managing woodland to mitigate against drought and enhance its resilience to climate change.
The announcement provides clarity and certainty to farmers, allowing them to make business decisions and cover costs as direct payments are phased out whilst getting involved in Environmental Land Management schemes.
I want our environment left in a better state than we found it for future generations, which is one of my key priorities I have set out for constituents. I am confident that these proposals will help care for our environment. To find out more about what action I am taking both in Norwich and Westminster for this work, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/environment