United Kingdom: farmers asked to lead the way to protect environment

by S. C.

Farmers will be asked to come up with innovative ways of preserving the environmental benefits of set-aside, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced today at the National Farmers’ Union Conference.

Under the set-aside scheme, which was abolished by the EU in 2008, farmers were required to take a proportion of their land out of production to reduce the EU’s infamous “food mountains”.

The UK supported the removal of set-aside while leading the way to ensure that its environmental benefits were recaptured, for example, by requiring uncropped land to be used as buffer strips around fields to prevent nitrates from fertilisers running off into ditches and streams.

Mr Benn said:
“I’m very proud of what British farming does for our country. Farmers care for the environment out of their respect for the land. We’re working together to see how we can best retain the environmental benefits of set-aside, while settling on a better approach for farmers.

“The way in which you farm does deliver important environmental benefits, and over time these benefits will be vital to maintaining levels of production. Indeed, over 70 per cent of the farmers we surveyed recently said there were benefits to leaving land uncropped. Over 60 per cent felt that farmland birds benefited the most.”

“I welcome the idea of a voluntary scheme, led by the industry, if we can be sure that it will deliver. This would be real partnership and we will stand ready to help.”