Cambridge, 23 September 2024 - The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) has welcomed a discussion at the Labour Conference suggesting that the long-awaited strategic Land Use Framework will be published in November, saying it is an important step towards a more sustainable farming future.

The farmer-led organisation is urging the Government to ensure the framework has the ambition needed to secure a resilient and economically strong agricultural sector capable of facing major challenges such as the impact of climate change.

NFFN CEO Martin Lines said: “A strategic Land Use Framework is crucial for the UK’s food security and for helping farmers achieve their environmental goals. It will enable them to optimise their land for multiple purposes, potentially increasing revenue streams while supporting practices like agroforestry, which enhance biodiversity and maintain food production.”

To further this aim, the NFFN urges Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Secretary Steve Reed to resist financial cuts to farming. The previous administration's £130 million underspend on agriculture exposes its failure to drive the farming transition effectively, highlighting the urgent need for decisive government action.

Recent NFFN survey results show widespread alarm among nature-friendly farmers about the impact of climate change on their businesses, reflecting broader concerns amid new analysis suggesting Britain is facing one of its worst harvests on record. The survey also revealed a shocking lack of confidence in Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his cabinet’s support for the farming sector.

NFFN CEO Martin Lines continued: “We need a farming budget that is fit for purpose. It is now evident that current spending levels will fall short of meeting the Government’s own environmental protection targets.

“We urgently need a clear and ambitious vision for the future of farming, alongside a well-funded, transparent roadmap to deliver it. This includes investing in land management schemes that offer the greatest benefit to nature. Our survey makes it clear that nature-friendly farmers are feeling squeezed by climate change causing havoc to their businesses. They produce high-quality, sustainable food, care for nature and support biodiversity, yet they are not adequately rewarded for their efforts.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information, or to arrange an interview with an NFFN spokesperson, contact NFFN press officer Andrew Nowell on 0798576428 or at andrew.nowell@nffn.org.uk

Survey Methodology

The NFFN sent its survey to its farmer members in England, gathering 139 responses. Farmers were asked the following questions about their priorities and those of the new Government :

What are your main concerns about farming currently? Please rank your top 3, with 1 being the most important. You are able to add additional concerns to the list if you wish.

● Climate change and more extreme weather events

● Cost of input prices

● Access to sustainable land management schemes (e.g. ELM)

● The overall size of the Government’s farming support budget

● The level of return from the market/fair pricing

● International trade deals

● Access to/affordability of land

● Levels of food waste

● Levels of food imports into the UK

● Shifts in dietary preferences/consumption patterns

● Other.

What would you most like the new Government to do for farming? Select your top 3 from the options below. You are able to add additional points to the list if you wish.

● Commit to at least maintaining the current level of farming support (the farming budget)

● Increase the availability of more environmentally ambitious schemes for farmers, such as Higher Tier-Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery

● Simplify the current scheme and grant offering to farmers

● Boost funding and support for expert advisors for farmers

● Boost funding and support for peer to peer learning and knowledge exchange among farmers

● Tackle unfairness in the supply chain

● Other.

Farmers were also asked if they thought farming was central to achieving the five priorities Steve Reed has set out for Defra (cleaning up rivers, lakes and seas; creating a roadmap for a zero-waste British economy; boosting food security; ensuring nature’s recovery and protecting communities from flooding).

In addition, farmers were asked if they supported shifting farm payments to support land management practices to protect soil, water and nature as well as mitigating climate change. Finally, farmers were asked if they agreed with the following statement: ‘Farmers can have confidence in the current Government to support them in tackling the main challenges facing the sector?'

About the Nature Friendly Farming Network

The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) is a UK farmer-led network working to mainstream nature-friendly farming as the most sustainable way of producing food. It is a membership organisation led by farmers, working alongside other organisations and public supporters. It unites farmers across the UK who champion how food and farming can positively influence change.

Its work is to support farmers at every stage of their journey towards nature-friendly farming. Through showcasing the experiences of farmers who are leading the way, it shares knowledge that empowers those in transition to produce plentiful food. It is committed to shaping food and farming policies that ensure fairer returns for farmers, improved access to sustainable food and greater stewardship of the environment. It shares farm-level experiences of whole-farm approaches that restore rural environments, regenerate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, act on climate change and offer greater resilience to natural or economic shocks.

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