England’s government plans to reduce its budget for environmentally sustainable farming by £100 million, according to an article published on Tuesday, in a move that has been slammed by onlookers.

Civil servants told The Guardian that ministers have attributed the proposed budget reduction to a previous underspend of £100 mln within the £2.4 billion allocation (4%).

Ministers reportedly argued that the preceding Conservative government’s failure to utilise the full budget makes it difficult to justify maintaining it.

Environmental actors told Carbon Pulse the reported cut would devastate nature (see below).

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has instructed various departments, including the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), to identify over £1 bln in savings, The Guardian said.

The cut could result in 239,000 fewer hectares of eco-friendly farmland, with the potential for further reductions if the diminished budget deters farmer participation, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said.

UK farmers are transitioning away from a system of basic subsidies towards acquiring public payments for more environmentally conscious practices through land management systems via the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship, and Landscape Recovery.

In July, environmental groups called on the government to urgently increase funds for nature-friendly farming by 68%.

According to The Guardian, a government Treasury spokesperson said: “Following the spending audit, the chancellor has been clear that difficult decisions lie ahead on spending, welfare and tax to fix the foundations of our economy and address the £22 bln hole in the public finances left by the last government.”

“DISASTROUS DECISION”

Environmental organisations have spoken out about the potential impact of the reported cut.

Martin Lines, CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), told Carbon Pulse: “Cutting this budget would be a disastrous and shortsighted decision. We need to protect the agriculture budget and ensure funds are allocated properly to strengthen the sector.”

“Food security, the restoration of nature, and meaningful climate action all depend on substantial investment in a transition to nature-friendly farming.”

Regenerative farming protects the future of farm businesses, ensures sustainable food production, and restores biodiversity, he said.

“Slashing the budget threatens our food supply, undermines farming, and devastates natural ecosystems. While we understand the financial constraints the government is facing, the stakes are too high to justify such cuts.”

“CROP FAILURES”

Sam Sinclair, director of consultancy Biodiversify, questioned the decision to cut investment in ecological integrity in the run-up to the COP16 biodiversity conference in Colombia in October.

“The UK is already in the bottom 10% of nations for biodiversity intactness. Nature isn’t just ‘nice to have’ as it plays a critical role in increasing the climate resilience of the agricultural sector, which is particularly relevant in the face of recent weather-related crop failures,” he told Carbon Pulse.

Production of wheat, oilseed rape, and winter barley was down in the UK in spring following record levels of rain.

“Basing this budget cut on the failure of past governments to deploy resources effectively is unlikely to bolster the already shaky confidence of landowners and managers in the business case for taking action for nature on their land,” said Sinclair.

Alice Groom, head of sustainable land use policy in England at the RSPB, emphasised the importance of funding for nature-friendly farming in sustaining the economy.

The cut could have a more severe economic impact than the coronavirus pandemic and the financial crisis, Groom predicted.

When the UK Labour party came to power in June, onlookers said it looked set to pursue a more climate-friendly agenda with a commitment to green growth opportunities.

Labour’s key climate manifesto pledges include:

• Double onshore wind, quadruple offshore wind, triple solar, and double levels of insulation investment
• Put a stop to new oil and gas licences
• Block new coal developments
• End new petrol and diesel vehicle sales by 2030
• Restore the Bank of England’s climate mandate
• Introduce a carbon border tax on imports
• Plant millions of trees and expand UK peatlands

By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com

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