Agricultural policy should drive the change in farming and food production that is required to deliver healthy and sustainable diets and environmental benefits. Producers need the right incentives and enabling environment from government to move towards producing healthy, nutritious, sustainable and affordable food. In practice, this includes increasing the production for human consumption of vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, fruit and pulses that grow well in the UK. It also means driving a transition to βbetterβ livestock farming that delivers a smaller amount of higher value meat and dairy, and moving away from intensive modes of production.
The enabling conditions that the government(s) will need to set out will be critical. Specifically, they include:
- Each nation of the UK should develop and implement a Horticulture Strategy. The strategy should work alongside other agricultural policy, and be sufficiently funded to provide support for existing businesses, incentivise conventional growers to transition to more sustainable farming practices, and entice new entrant horticulturalists.
- Develop, implement and evaluate a plan to deliver increased biodiversity, soil health, tree cover and lowered greenhouse gas emissions, water and air pollution. Link target evaluation with aims set out in the national food strategy.
- Link future farm payments to delivering on strategic objectives, in line with a strategy for a just transition that ensures fairness for farmers and food producers.
- Maximise environmental scheme uptake in farms, in line with a strategy for a just transition.
- Provision of quality extension services (independent advice and training) for farmers to transition to better systems.
- Invest in publicly-funded research and infrastructure to facilitate sustainable horticulture and plant protein production, particularly on varieties that are climate tolerant, and map suitable areas of production.
- Linking with other departments to provide a market for plant foods, i.e. leveraging public procurement policy, and consumption based support, such as through vouchers for those on low incomes
- Research and promote alternatives to imported soya and grain production for feed.
- A suspension on all new planning applications for intensive livestock farms combined with more government support for smaller-scale sustainable livestock farms.
- Revision of the environmental permitting thresholds used to monitor and enforce standards on intensive livestock farms, including more rigorous enforcement through in-person assessments.
