Recommendation 5

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted

The Government’s vision for farming is dependent upon three strands: • a farming sector that has food production at its core • a sector where farm businesses can diversify their income to make a fair profit and remain viable in challenging times • a sector that recognises restoring nature is not in competition with sustainable food production, but is essential to it As the report highlights, we are currently operating in difficult economic and geopolitical circumstances, but are committed to ensuring that: • we have food that feeds the nation – the primary purpose of farming • farmers turn a decent profit – with a New Deal for Farmers helping to address this • we are restoring nature alongside food production, instead of having the two compete We have already delivered early first-steps for British farmers, where we: 1. allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are investing more than £2.7bn a year in farming and nature recovery, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history to put healthy, nutritious food on our tables. 2. protected our most productive farmland, whilst delivering the Government’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes, through the Land Use Framework consultation. 3. committed nearly £250m in farming grants to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the sector through the Farming innovation Programme (FIP) and £46.7 million to help farmers invest in equipment and technology that improve productivity, manage slurry, and support animal health and welfare. 4. appointed former NFU president Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers’ profits. 5. protected farmers in trade deals and unlocked new markets for British produce, including with India and South Africa 6. are investing £30 million to increase payments rates for those in existing High-Level Stewardship agreements and committed to a Capital Grants offer worth £150m to support nature-friendly farming. 7. are reforming the planning system to support clean energy projects that align with our Clean Power 2030 ambitions, helping farm businesses to become more profitable and resilient. 8. provided a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker route, giving farms certainty to grow their businesses. We will support farms while carrying out annual quota reviews to ensure the number of visas gradually reduce. 9. have set up a new National Biosecurity Centre and committed over £1 billion to bolster our defences against disease threats. 10. are using our own purchasing power to back British produce, with an ambition, where possible, for half of food supplied into the public sector to be produced locally or certified to high environmental standards.