Reports indicate that funding for nature-friendly farming in England is due to be slashed in the UK spending review, taking place on the 11th of June.
What’s likely to happen? What does it mean? And what can farmers do about it?
ffinlo Costain is joined by Martin Lines, Chief Executive of the Nature Friendly Farming Network – by Julia Aglionby, Executive Director of the Foundation for Common Land and Professor of Practice at University of Cumbria – and by Joe Stanley, farming commentator, Wheat from the Chaff co-host and Head of Sustainable Farming, at the GWCT Allerton Project.
Martin Lines said: “Soil is the bank account of the nation – we need Defra ministers to step-up and set out a clear journey, and we need our industry to set out the value of everything we can produce from our landscape.”
Julia Aglionby said: “Farming is 0.2% of government expenditure. This will make no difference to defence, health and education; it will make a huge difference as to whether we are able to deliver food security and ecological resilience.”
Joe Stanley said: “Farmers have been concerned that food hasn’t had a significant enough position in the new public money for public goods structure – now the danger is that nature has been thrown out as well.”