Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
4
Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
By 2025, Defra should adapt the Environmental Land Management schemes to fund the testing and assessment of all key physical, chemical and biological soil attributes decided by the soil health indicators project. These schemes should only support tests that are easy to use, cost-effective, and meet an approved standard, to …
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By 2025, Defra should adapt the Environmental Land Management schemes to fund the testing and assessment of all key physical, chemical and biological soil attributes decided by the soil health indicators project. These schemes should only support tests that are easy to use, cost-effective, and meet an approved standard, to collect more robust and comparable data. This must involve working with industry on suitable tests and assessments and collaborating with supply chain assurance standards to ensure farmers need only produce data for one common set of soil health tests. The ELM schemes should incorporate mechanisms to feed publicly funded data back into the soil health monitoring programme. This data and analysis should be anonymised, aggregated, secured and not be used to monitor progress on individual farms. (Paragraph 25) 48 Soil health
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Government response AI summary
The government's response committed to producing a Land Use Framework in 2024 and mentioned other policy initiatives like Local Nature Recovery Strategies and a National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides, completely deflecting from the recommendation to adapt ELM schemes to fund soil health …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
7
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
By May 2024, the Government must publish the new National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides and its Land Use Framework. The Framework should provide clear guidance and leadership to stakeholders on the most effective uses for types of soils, and the trade-offs between different outcomes, such as increased …
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By May 2024, the Government must publish the new National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides and its Land Use Framework. The Framework should provide clear guidance and leadership to stakeholders on the most effective uses for types of soils, and the trade-offs between different outcomes, such as increased biodiversity and improved food security. Once established, the Land Use Framework should be frequently updated to incorporate the latest data and also should be integrated into other government incentive schemes, such as ELMs, to reward sustainable decision- making.
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Government response AI summary
The government deflected by referring to the Agricultural Transition Plan Update (Jan 2024) which broadly covers barriers to farmers adopting environmental land management, rather than committing to publish the National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides and the Land Use Framework by May 2024.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
8
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
Once a soil baseline and health indicators are in place, the Government must work with industry and academia to develop a set of binding and measurable targets for improving soil health in England, based primarily on the agreed soil health indicators, and giving a clear but realistic indication of how …
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Once a soil baseline and health indicators are in place, the Government must work with industry and academia to develop a set of binding and measurable targets for improving soil health in England, based primarily on the agreed soil health indicators, and giving a clear but realistic indication of how the use of agricultural inputs will be reduced over time. By the end of 2028, the Government should have amended the Environment Act 2021 section 1, subsection 3 to explicitly mention soil health, put soil on an equal, harmonised footing with water and air, and to bind future governments to these targets.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focused entirely on increasing payment rates and introducing premiums for SFI and Countryside Stewardship schemes, rather than addressing the recommendation to develop binding soil health targets and amend the Environment Act by 2028.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
9
Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
The 2028 Environmental Improvement Plan should incorporate and develop these new soil health targets and ensure that soil improvement features across all related sectors, particularly construction, planning and agriculture. Goals for biodiversity, waste, food security, land use and net zero should ensure that soil health plays a role in their …
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The 2028 Environmental Improvement Plan should incorporate and develop these new soil health targets and ensure that soil improvement features across all related sectors, particularly construction, planning and agriculture. Goals for biodiversity, waste, food security, land use and net zero should ensure that soil health plays a role in their delivery. The EIP should also aim for nearly all farmers and growers (90% or more) to be part of an ELM scheme by 2040, and work with the agricultural sector to develop clear, reasonable and measurable definitions of “sustainable soil management” within ELMs, which are adaptable to different contexts and that all participants should be strongly incentivised to adopt. (Paragraph 40) Soil health 49 Incentivising sustainable soil management
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Government response AI summary
The government's response outlined measures to improve accessibility for smaller and tenant farmers in ELM schemes, such as SFI Management Payments and adapted tenancy rules, but did not address the recommendation regarding the 2028 EIP, new soil health targets across sectors, or definitions of sustainable …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
16
Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
It is disappointing that the Government has not acted on our previous calls for a set of measurable targets and an evaluation programme for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The impact of ELM scheme must be monitored more effectively than previous environmental management schemes to gain the benefits of …
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It is disappointing that the Government has not acted on our previous calls for a set of measurable targets and an evaluation programme for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The impact of ELM scheme must be monitored more effectively than previous environmental management schemes to gain the benefits of the iterative approach. This would ensure that ELMs deliver positive outcomes for the environment, which paying for actions does not guarantee, and demonstrate that public money is being well spent. If this is done successfully, alongside seeking feedback from farmers, it would enable a better analysis of the impact that the ELM scheme actions are having, both independently and in combination with each other.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response detailed the Environment Agency's work on regulating the safe and sustainable spreading of manures and waste-derived soil conditioners, including reviews and new frameworks by 2026/27, completely unrelated to the recommendation for an ELM evaluation programme.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
17
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
By the end of 2024, the Government should publish an evaluation programme for ELMs. This should be designed alongside the soil health indicators so that they can consistently measure progress on soil health. It should also use anonymised and aggregated data collected by farmers and enable them to feedback into …
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By the end of 2024, the Government should publish an evaluation programme for ELMs. This should be designed alongside the soil health indicators so that they can consistently measure progress on soil health. It should also use anonymised and aggregated data collected by farmers and enable them to feedback into the system directly and regularly. The Government should also publish an annual report detailing: levels of uptake for each scheme; which actions participants are undertaking; how farmer feedback is influencing the development of ELMs; the impact on the environment, including soils; and how this is driving progress towards a set of measurable national targets for soils.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response focused on measures to address contaminated soil, including a £78m Land Remediation Pathfinder Scheme, revised guidance for construction sites by summer 2024, and piloting a Soil Reuse and Depot scheme by December 2026, rather than committing to publishing an ELM evaluation programme …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
20
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
The next Environmental Improvement Plan, due by 2028, should incorporate this action plan. It should also set out how the Government will address other drivers in the wider food supply chain that encourage poor soil management. These include a lack of profitability in the sector and unsustainable consumer and retailer …
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The next Environmental Improvement Plan, due by 2028, should incorporate this action plan. It should also set out how the Government will address other drivers in the wider food supply chain that encourage poor soil management. These include a lack of profitability in the sector and unsustainable consumer and retailer demands. To support this, the Government should work with industry to develop a common understanding of sustainable soil management that assurance standards and retailer- supplier agreements can adhere to. The Government should also ask the Food Data and Transparency Partnership to consider how this definition could be part of a future ecolabelling system in the future. (Paragraph 72) Soil regulations
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed that advice-led approaches help tackle soil damage and detailed its use of earth observation techniques to identify land management risks and target advice to farmers, but did not address the recommendation to incorporate an action plan into the 2028 EIP or define …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
21
Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
Current soil regulations contain significant gaps both within and particularly outside of agriculture. Historically, regulations have seen soil as a medium and vector for the pollution of other natural assets, so a wide array of soil health aspects are not protected. This situation is likely to get worse as Cross …
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Current soil regulations contain significant gaps both within and particularly outside of agriculture. Historically, regulations have seen soil as a medium and vector for the pollution of other natural assets, so a wide array of soil health aspects are not protected. This situation is likely to get worse as Cross Compliance is phased out in 2024. While we acknowledge that most farmers want to do the right thing, a new soil protections legislative framework is needed as a backstop to address gaps, enforce the ‘polluter pays’ principle, and establish minimum acceptable standards for those who choose not to engage with the voluntary ELM schemes.
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Government response AI summary
The government did not commit to a new soil protection legislative framework, instead outlining existing and planned initiatives focused on providing funding, advice, and skills training to farmers for nutrient and pest management, and developing a Green Jobs Plan.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
23
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
Using improved soil health and soil management data, as well as its evaluation of the success of the ELM schemes, the Department should work with industry, academics and regulators on a more robust regulatory baseline for soils. These regulations should be in line with any future soil health targets and …
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Using improved soil health and soil management data, as well as its evaluation of the success of the ELM schemes, the Department should work with industry, academics and regulators on a more robust regulatory baseline for soils. These regulations should be in line with any future soil health targets and any future definition of ‘sustainable soil management’. This new regulatory framework should be consulted on, legislated for and clearly communicated before 2030, with provisions coming into force by 2035, to give land managers and owners time to prepare. The new laws would preferably take a combined approach with other areas, such as water and air quality but could take the form of a soil-specific regulatory framework. While agriculture should be an important focus, we would also like to see a framework offering protections for all types of soils.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it is currently reviewing the regulatory baseline for soil health and will consider findings from the Office for Environmental Protection, but does not commit to a new regulatory framework, legislation, or specific timelines as recommended.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
24
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
In the agricultural sector, the regulatory baseline should be designed to work in tandem with ELM schemes. Initially it should incorporate most of the soil health actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive, with all ELM schemes becoming more ambitious on soils. As the ELM schemes become more ambitious, so too …
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In the agricultural sector, the regulatory baseline should be designed to work in tandem with ELM schemes. Initially it should incorporate most of the soil health actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive, with all ELM schemes becoming more ambitious on soils. As the ELM schemes become more ambitious, so too should the regulatory baseline: we recommend that regulations and ELMs are reviewed every five years to ratchet up soil protections and incorporate the latest evidence on what works. In the long-term, the Government should aim for a situation where regulations prevent soil degradation and ELM schemes focus on soil and habitat restoration.
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Government response AI summary
The government states it is currently reviewing the regulatory baseline for soil health and will consider findings from the Office for Environmental Protection. It does not commit to the recommended five-year review cycle for regulations and ELMs or to the long-term aim of preventing soil …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
28
Recommendation
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
The Government should set up a soil remediation taskforce in 2024 to tackle the barriers to soil remediation. This should consider the role that new technologies Soil health 53 can play with hard-to-remediate soils, as well as the provision of funding to either developers, local authorities or regulators to tackle …
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The Government should set up a soil remediation taskforce in 2024 to tackle the barriers to soil remediation. This should consider the role that new technologies Soil health 53 can play with hard-to-remediate soils, as well as the provision of funding to either developers, local authorities or regulators to tackle the cases that the planning system and private sector are incapable of improving. The Taskforce’s proposals should inform the updated Environmental Improvement Plan due by 2028, which should set out how soil remediation will help the Government make progress towards its nature recovery targets.
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Government response AI summary
The government defers establishing a soil remediation taskforce, stating it is committed to urban soil management and is currently focused on publishing revised guidance for construction sites, piloting a Soil Reuse and Depot scheme by December 2026, and assessing a soil bank system before considering …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
29
Conclusion
First Report - Soil health
Deferred
We are pleased to see that the Government has announced plans to reduce the amount of soil sent to landfill. These reforms are an update to guidance and the trialling of soil storage sites, which stakeholders welcome but it remains to be seen if these are enough to bring about …
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We are pleased to see that the Government has announced plans to reduce the amount of soil sent to landfill. These reforms are an update to guidance and the trialling of soil storage sites, which stakeholders welcome but it remains to be seen if these are enough to bring about real change. Regulation may be required to make currently voluntary codes of practice mandatory.
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Government response AI summary
The government plans to publish revised guidance for soil use on construction sites by summer 2024 and pilot a Soil Reuse and Depot scheme by December 2026. They explicitly state they will assess the effectiveness of these voluntary approaches before considering any regulatory models to …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs