The Soil Association has recently responded to the government’s Green Paper proposals for nature recovery:
Soil Association Head of Food Policy Rob Percival said: “The regeneration of nature is essential for a productive food system, as emphasised by the National Food Strategy. The government’s new targets for nature are welcome, but we must transform the 75% of UK land that is farmed so that it too works for nature – we cannot just rely on protected areas.
“We know that insect declines are directly linked to intensive, chemical-dependant farming, so a shift to agroecological, nature-friendly farming is essential. This must be underpinned by bold targets to reduce pesticides and artificial fertilisers, with support for farmers to adopt alternative methods. We also need support for diet change to enable a move away from intensive meat production.
“Rooting UK food production in cheap fossil gas sourced along geopolitically unstable supply chains is deeply unwise, as the recent spike in fertiliser costs has demonstrated. An agroecological future will require changes in both land-use and diets – with grazing animals supporting crops and more land allocated to human food in place of animal feed – but the benefits for climate, nature, and health will be considerable.”