Friday 8 October 2010

RSPB campaign against agri-environment spending cuts

Agri-environment schemes channel government funding to help farmers manage their land in an environmentally-friendly way.

They recognise the important role farmers play in managing the countryside, and encourage and support farmers to change their farming methods to ways which will help wildlife.


They provide a payment for those aspects of farming, such as homes for wildlife, which benefit the countryside, and for which they would not otherwise be rewarded.

Each country of the UK has its own programme of agri-environment schemes, open to farmers. Reform of the Common Agriculture Policy has led to the design of new schemes which mean that new and old schemes will run concurrently for a number of years until existing contracts with farmers end.

Due to government spending cuts, Defra’s reduced budget means that funding of agri-environment schemes are threatened.

In the short term, agri-environment spending (especially the Higher Level Scheme) must be maintained as this is the key means of halting the loss of habitats and restoring biodiversity at home. To ensure long term success the UK government must do all it can to influence the reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (due in 2013) so that public money is used to reward farmers for delivering public benefits such as an attractive countryside rich in wildlife.


Please visit and e-mail the Government to voice your concern.

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