It is clear that our current food system isn’t working for farmers, nature, the climate, or even for consumers. Nature is in rapid decline on farmland, protected rivers are polluted from agricultural run-off, the total labour force across the agricultural sector reduced by roughly 8,000 over the last decade and farmers are struggling to make their businesses viable. Climate induced weather impacts such as droughts and floods are costing farmers in Wales tens of millions each year.
The question is how to address the nature and climate crisis whilst ensuring farmers’ livelihoods, and at the same time remembering that without nature, we risk losing the vital role agriculture plays in sustaining our rural economy, our communities and our future. There are hard economic reasons why we should care about nature's decline. Nature is an asset that underpins all economic activity. But we are rapidly depreciating nature and undermining our economic prospects for the future. Food production is reliant on nature and healthy ecosystems.
Wildlife Trusts Wales and WWF Cymru believe the Sustainable Farming Scheme is a vital mechanism to help farmers address Wales’s climate and nature crisis since almost 90% of the land is farmed. The 10% targets to increase wildlife habitat and tree cover on farms are important elements of the Scheme in addressing both the climate and nature crisis in which farmers have a crucial role to play. We welcome steps taken by Welsh Government, through the co-design process, to increase flexibility to enable farms to meet the 10% trees requirement and increase tree cover on suitable land. The Scheme, if delivered effectively, will help ensure that farming will be better able to cope with a changing climate and more frequent extreme weather events. It sets out a clear pathway for farming to secure a long-term sustainable future in Wales, but only if there is sufficient funding.
It is vital that farmers are supported to grow sustainably produced food and adopt practices that help restore nature and tackle climate change. But in order to do this, farmers need to be properly rewarded. Without sufficient funding, farmers will simply not be able to undertake the variety of actions needed by the Scheme to help restore nature and make their farms more climate resilient. There is also a need for appropriate funding to invest in training and jobs so that current and future generations of farmers are first in line to prosper from a just transition to more sustainable farming practices.
Many farmers already support restoring wildlife on their farms, protecting rivers from farm pollution and producing food in a more sustainable way by decreasing the use of pesticides and fertilisers. This is the type of farming that so many people want to see across Wales.
We welcome ongoing discussions with all stakeholders about what the final Sustainable Farming Scheme will look like. All voices must be heard in this debate. It is clear that the new scheme, which is still under development, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recognise and reward farmers for their unique ability to help Wales achieve a sustainable future.
Have your say on the future of farming in Wales here: https://www.wtwales.org/ by 7th March 2024.