Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
15
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
Using an analysis of recent soil health trends, the Government should set out, by 2026, long-term plans for how ELM schemes will become more ambitious for soils. This should include: a) Putting all basic actions known to improve soils into the SFI if evidence suggests that the economic drivers are …
Government response. The government states the SFI already incorporates many soil actions and will consider adding more, while exploring ways to adapt CS. They recognize the value of defining "sustainable soil management" and aim to do so with stakeholder engagement. However, they …
18
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
ELMs and the establishment of private ecosystem marketplaces do not tackle all the fundamental economic drivers of unsustainable soil management within the supply chain. We would like to see the Government set out how it will deal with the poor profitability within the sector, which is a barrier to more …
Government response. The government details existing grants, a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme, and plans a consultation on fertiliser regulations to boost the supply and access of diverse organic inputs. However, the response does not specifically set out how it will …
19
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
By mid-2025, the Government should develop an action plan setting out how it will make organic inputs a more economical choice for farmers. This should include measures that boost the availability and diversity of organic inputs to achieve soil health targets and ensure the organic recycling and agricultural sectors have …
Government response. The government details existing grants, like the £200m Slurry Infrastructure Grant, and a new £25 million Nutrient Management Theme launching in spring 2024, to support novel fertilisers and organic input development. They will also consult on fertiliser regulations. However, the …
27
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
The national soil monitoring programme should aim to gain a better understanding of the scale of soil contamination. To spur progress on nature recovery targets, this information should identify problematic areas that local authorities and developers are encouraged to remediate. Contamination data should also be used to develop Extended Producer …
Government response. The government is developing a £78m Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme to support local authorities in remediating contaminated land. While the national soil monitoring program is collecting data on some inorganic contaminants, it is not currently collecting data on organic contaminants …
31
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
The Environment Agency and the Rural Payments Agency should continue to take an initially supportive approach when monitoring compliance, given the low levels of engagement and the fact that most farmers want to do the right thing for their soils. Follow ups will be essential to ensure that compliance breaches …
Government response. The government agrees with advice-led approaches and states enforcement occurs when advice is not acted upon. It highlights the use of earth observation technology for more efficient inspections and targeted advice, building on a successful pilot, but does not explicitly …
36
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Accepted in Part
The review should also identify where guidance documents for sustainable farming— including sustainable soil management—could be better synthesised and made more specific to particular settings. Working closely with respected organisations such as the AHDB, the Government should invest in research projects to develop guidance and decision-making support tools for the …
Government response. The government details its ongoing efforts to refine and improve accessibility and specificity of guidance through user testing, supplementary products, and online tools. However, it does not commit to investing in research for decision-making tools or subsidising collaborations and knowledge …