Andrea Leadsom set out her priorities for a post Brexit sector at the National Farmers’ Union Conference.
The environment is one of the Secretary of State’s priorities set out in the speech. She notes that ‘ British farmers don’t only produce world-class food, but as part of that process, they care for and shape some of our most iconic landscapes’.
‘As we leave the EU, we have an opportunity to take a fresh look at these schemes and think about what mechanisms are needed to promote the twin goals of productive farming and environmental improvement. I want to consider, for example, how we will strike the right balance between national frameworks for support measures whilst tailoring them to local landscapes and catchments. And how can we incentivise as many farmers as possible to undertake environmental improvements on their land?’.
The Heritage Alliance has been doing lots of work to feed into discussions on how the CAP’s replacement can support the historic environment and we will be publishing a paper on our website shortly.
The Greener UK coalition, which includes Alliance members the National Trust and CPRE, has also launched a manifesto, calling on the UK government to restore and enhance the environment as part of its plans for leaving the European Union. The coalition is united in the belief that now is a pivotal time for the UK to secure a healthy and thriving natural environment for this, and future generations, to enjoy.