Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
1
Conclusion
5th Report - The economic and cultural …
Acknowledged
Agriculture plays a significant role in the Welsh economy, employing a higher percentage of the workforce in Wales than in other parts of the UK. However, the agriculture sector in Wales is dominated by large sub-sectors such as livestock production and dairy farming. At the same time it is characterised …
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Agriculture plays a significant role in the Welsh economy, employing a higher percentage of the workforce in Wales than in other parts of the UK. However, the agriculture sector in Wales is dominated by large sub-sectors such as livestock production and dairy farming. At the same time it is characterised by relatively smaller farm holdings—many of which are family farms. Together this paints a picture of higher risk: a sector dependent on a narrower range of production and farms less resilient to economic shock.
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Government response AI summary
DIT publishes scoping and impact assessments at the launch and conclusion of new FTA negotiations, including an assessment of the economic impacts on UK’s regions and nations and recognizes the unique cultural contribution of Welsh farming communities.
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Wales Office
3
Recommendation
5th Report - The economic and cultural …
Acknowledged
We welcome the inclusion of a member of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) who has experience of the agricultural landscape in Wales, along with moves to recruit new agri-food attachés, and the establishment of a new Food and Drink Export Council. However, to be successful, the Welsh Government …
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We welcome the inclusion of a member of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) who has experience of the agricultural landscape in Wales, along with moves to recruit new agri-food attachés, and the establishment of a new Food and Drink Export Council. However, to be successful, the Welsh Government and farming communities need to be fully engaged in the work of the new TAC and Export Council, as well as the work of the attachés. The UK Government should collaborate on the terms of reference for the Export Council with the devolved governments and farming organisations, and commit to having at least one council member with expertise and experience of the agri-food sector in Wales. We also call for a proportionate number of the new agri-food attachés to have expertise and knowledge and understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the food and drink sector in Wales, food production in Wales and the impact of decisions upon these areas.
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Government response AI summary
DIT publishes scoping and impact assessments at the launch and conclusion of new FTA negotiations which provide analysis of the potential impacts on the nations and regions of the UK, including Wales, alongside impacts on sectors, including agriculture.
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Wales Office
6
Conclusion
5th Report - The economic and cultural …
Acknowledged
We recognise the importance of increasing woodland to tackle the climate emergency. However, there are unintended consequences emerging as a result of planting too many trees, of the wrong type, in the wrong place. The move to net zero also needs to be better understood—something that would be helped by …
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We recognise the importance of increasing woodland to tackle the climate emergency. However, there are unintended consequences emerging as a result of planting too many trees, of the wrong type, in the wrong place. The move to net zero also needs to be better understood—something that would be helped by greater transparency on what is happening. We have heard legitimate concerns from a large number of witnesses regarding companies buying Welsh farmland for tree planting in order to off-set their carbon emissions. The extent to which this is happening, and the drivers for these actions (and whether they are an unintended consequence of tree planting schemes, including those established by both the UK and Welsh governments), is difficult to establish.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the concerns regarding companies buying Welsh farmland for tree planting and describes arrangements for cooperation between the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations on agricultural support issues. They mention the UK Agriculture Policy Collaboration Group (PCG) and the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring …
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Wales Office
9
Recommendation
5th Report - The economic and cultural …
Acknowledged
Climate change is already having a clear impact on farming. Changing weather patterns alter the farming environment and create greater instability. Wetter weather will increase challenges to livestock production with increased flooding of fields potentially reducing the crop production used to supply bedding and feed. We are concerned that a …
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Climate change is already having a clear impact on farming. Changing weather patterns alter the farming environment and create greater instability. Wetter weather will increase challenges to livestock production with increased flooding of fields potentially reducing the crop production used to supply bedding and feed. We are concerned that a reduction in yield, as a result of environmental factors, could reduce the viability of farms and, in turn, could have negative consequences for the cultural, economic and social significance of family farms in Wales. We recommend that the UK and Welsh governments work together to ensure that both governments meet their net-zero targets. (Paragraph 43) The economic and cultural impacts of trade and environmental policy on family farms in Wales 17 Future agricultural policy
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Government response AI summary
The Government recognises the challenge of climate change and the need for swift action, mentioning working closely with the Welsh Government and other Devolved Administrations through established governance arrangements to ensure a joined-up and collaborative approach to delivering net zero via the Net Zero, Energy …
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Wales Office