Brexit: and agri-environment schemes

How to reconcile the interests of farming:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and "getting the balance right in supporting food production alongside environmental protection and protecting consumers"
Futures Forum: Brexit: and migrant workers not wanting to work on West Country farms
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the small family farm
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the UK food system

And the environment?
Futures Forum: Brexit: and parliamentary reports on fisheries and the future of the natural environment
Futures Forum: Brexit: and grasping a better future for the countryside
Futures Forum: Brexit: and not watering down environmental laws

The Arthur Rank centre looks at how these can be balanced post-Brexit:

Brexit - an opportunity or risk for agri-environment schemes?

The Government recently announced that all new entrants to agri-environment schemes up to the point of Brexit would be funded for the full length of their agreements. 

What form these schemes will take post-Brexit is less certain but they are likely to remain an integral component of policies supporting nature conservation on farmland. 

It is essential that previous successes are built on and that the following principles are incorporated in the design of new schemes: appropriate funding on a landscape scale, payment for outcomes, harnessing farmers’ motivation, improved value for money, evidence-based measures and effective support and guidance for farmers.

Chris Foster-Brown, ADAS

2507_Brexit_and_env_schemes.pdf

Here's the original paper:

Brexit - an opportunity or risk for agri-environment schemes?

Published on 03 November 2016
Author: Chris Forster-Brown

Nature conservation in the UK comprises a mix of designation (protected sites system), regulation and incentives (usually financial). 

Brexit will have ramifications for all three, including potentially large changes in how support mechanisms for environmental management of farmland might work. 

For the past three decades, agri-environment schemes (AES) have formed a core part of many farming systems and income streams. 

Whilst there have been some notable successes in terms of habitats and species, there have also been missed opportunities and, despite the widespread uptake of schemes, there continues to be a general trend towards impoverishment of our flora and fauna. 

This article considers potential improvements to agri-environment schemes post Brexit.

Brexit - an opportunity or risk for agri-environment schemes?
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