Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has announced updates for the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentives, including a 10% funding uplift, during a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference today (Thursday 4 January).
The Soil Association welcomes the cash boost and unveiling of new incentives for nature-friendly farming including agroforestry and rewetting peatlands.
Responding, Soil Association Chief Executive Helen Browning said: “As both a farmer and an environmentalist, my mind is buzzing with the potential opportunities that could open up for my farm following this announcement from Defra. Many farmers are already working with nature and many more are keen to do so but have been waiting for reassurance from government.
“There is widespread agreement that we need a farmer-led tree revolution, so I am delighted to see vital funding coming through this year for agroforestry and wood pasture, alongside further support for farmers to create habitats.
“With further incentives for combining nature-friendly practices, we could finally be moving towards a resilient farming system where farmers produce good food in harmony with wildlife across all of their land, as agroecological and organic farmers already do. This is essential in the face of the escalating climate and nature crises – small tweaks to the status quo will not be enough.
“We want to see the budget for agroecological farming doubled, so today’s funding uplift is an important step forward for our farmers who are under huge pressures. We hope this will lead to more investment in sustainable farming, alongside support for farmers to enact whole farm plans for nature and move away from harmful practices.”