The government is off-track and risks missing legally-binding targets to halt wildlife decline, but nature-friendly farmers hold the solution, according to a new report released today (Thursday 18 January).
The report from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), which is the first major review of the government’s Environment Improvement Plan, has concluded that milestones risk being missed, and government needs to speed up and scale up delivery.
The report highlights a lack of action on government commitments to reduce pesticide use, protect hedgerows, and restore biodiversity.
It found that out of 40 environmental targets, including those set under the Environment Act 2021, evidence can only be found to show that government is largely on track to achieve just four.
Soil Association Policy Director Brendan Costelloe said: “It is deeply concerning that the government is failing to make progress on its environmental targets, but farmers hold the solution.
“Pollution levels from intensive livestock production remain unacceptably high, and government must introduce a fit-for-purpose system to prevent this by putting farming at the heart of the solution to the nature and climate crises.
“Today’s report from the Office for Environmental Protection highlights that every single farm may need to shift to nature-friendly practices for the UK to meet farming water pollution targets. It is clear we need a wholesale shift from degrading, intensive agriculture to organic and agroecological farming, yet the government’s ambitions currently fall far short of this.
“We continue to call on government to double investment in agroecological farming and to help farmers access the advice they need. Soil Association farming advisors are here to help farm businesses, but the government must also adequately fund Natural England.”