The ‘untapped potential of grasslands continues to be overlooked by government’ says an open letter to Defra signed by leading environmental charities, universities and conservation groups.
The letter highlights that ‘protecting, restoring and managing grasslands is crucial to tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies, whilst producing food’ and calls for the swift establishment of a cross departmental Grassland Taskforce to ensure grasslands are not shaded out of the conversation by policy-makers.
The letter reads, “From urban green spaces to upland pastures, grasslands are the largest land use category in England, covering at least 40 per cent of land, yet there is no dedicated resource within Defra working specifically on them. Unlike trees and peatland, there is no equivalent action plan or taskforce for grasslands that can leverage opportunities such as private finance mechanisms for species recovery and habitat management, restoration and creation.”
Signatories to the letter – coordinated by Plantlife – include the Soil Association, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Buglife, Nature Friendly Farming Network, and author Dave Goulson (Silent Earth).
Jo Riggall, Plantlife’s Grassland Advocacy Officer, said, “A taskforce would help to ensure that resources and staff within Defra are specifically dedicated to grasslands. We need investment in research and evidence building across different grassland types, for example, meadows, pastures and road verges, as well as coherent policy to deliver on multiple government targets for nature, food, climate, circular economy and health.”
The letter reads:
Dear Secretary of State,
It’s time to fill the grassland gap. Protecting, restoring and managing grasslands is crucial to tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies, whilst producing food.
However, the untapped potential of grasslands continues to be overlooked by government.
We welcome your commitment to developing a Land Use Framework for England; this is a crucial opportunity to maximise the co-benefits of nature-rich grasslands, which play a vital role in producing sustainable food, sequestering carbon, cleaning our air and water, supporting wildlife, building a circular economy, providing accessible greenspace, and benefiting health.
From urban green spaces to upland pastures, grasslands are the largest land use category in England, covering at least 40 per cent of land, yet there is no dedicated resource within DEFRA working specifically on them. Unlike trees and peatland, there is no equivalent Action Plan or Taskforce for grasslands that can leverage opportunities such as private finance mechanisms for species recovery and habitat management, restoration and creation.
We need a new approach.
We are calling on UK Government to establish a cross-departmental Grassland Taskforce, in order to build a strategic programme of evidence and policy development that maximises the contribution of grasslands to the Government’s policies, such as the Land Use Framework and 25-year farming roadmap, as well as targets on biodiversity, net zero, food, land use, a circular economy, and health and wellbeing.
Unlocking grasslands’ economic and environmental value will bring huge benefits for farmers, local authorities, national agencies, and local communities across England.
We must act now to fill the grassland gap; a Grassland Taskforce would start the process of realising the potential of this national asset.
Yours Sincerely,
- Nicola Hutchinson Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Conservation, Plantlife
- Andrew Blake, Wye Valley National Landscape Manager & Chair, Wye Valley National Landscape Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Local Assessment Panel
- Becky Willson, Technical Director, Farm CarbonToolkit
- Caroline Hanks, Director, Herefordshire Meadows
- Christopher Price, Chief Executive Officer, Rare Breeds Survival Trust
- Chris Woodley-Stewart, Director, North Pennines National Landscape
- Craig Llewellyn, Associate Ecologist, Atkins
- Professor Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology, University of Sussex, Author
- Professor David Gowing, Director, Floodplain Meadows Partnership
- Ellen Bradley, Co-Director, UK Youth for Nature
- Emily Linton, Farming Futures, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
- Flo Blackbourn, General Manager, Curlew Action
- Gareth Morgan, Head of Farming Policy, Soil Association
- Gill Perkins, Chief Executive, Bumblebee Conservation Trust
- Glen Tarman, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming
- Henry Oliver, Director, North Wessex Downs National Landscape Partnership
- Iain Mann, Manager, Nidderdale National Landscape
- Professor James Bullock, Senior Researcher, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
- Jason Lavender, Director, High Weald National Landscape Partnership
- Jimmy Woodrow, Chief Executive, Pasture for Life
- John Watkins, Chief Executive, National Landscapes Association
- Kate Ashbrook, General Secretary, Open Spaces Society
- Kevin Newell, Founder, Humane Wildlife Solutions
- Linda Nunn, Director, Cranborne Chase National Landscape
- Professor Maggie Gill, Chair, Stapledon Memorial Trust
- Maggie Mitchell, Chief Executive, British Society of Animal Science
- Martin Lines, Chief Executive Officer, Nature Friendly Farming Network
- Mary Colwell, Director, Curlew Action & Chair, Curlew Recovery Partnership
- Mike Hill, Chief Executive, Friends of the Lake District
- Nick Mann, Founder, Habitat Aid
- Nida Al-Fulaij, Chief Executive Officer, People’s Trust For Endangered Species
- Polly Martin, Chief Executive, National Trails UK
- Rachel Richards, B-Lines Officer, Buglife
- Rebecca Waite, Chief Executive, Cotswolds National Landscape
- Richard Benwell, Chair, Oxfordshire Local Nature Partnership
- Richard Grogan, Manager, Isle of Wight National Landscape Partnership
- Roger English, Manager, South Devon National Landscape
- Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive, Campaign for National Parks
- Russel Hobson, Director of Business and Research, Butterfly Conservation
- Ryan Burrell, Director, Curlew Recovery Partnership
- Tom Munro, Director, Dorset National Landscape Partnership
- Sasha Woods, Director of Science and Policy, Earthwatch Europe
- Tom Goatman, Chief Executive Officer, British Grassland Society
- Tom Wild, School of Architecture & Landscape, University of Sheffield