We are facing a climate and nature crisis. National Parks and National Landscapes should be playing a key role in tackling this, but previous Welsh Government agriculture schemes have delivered no better results inside Designated Landscapes than outside.
Will you join us in pressing Welsh Government to make sure that the Sustainable Farming Scheme rewards and incentivises nature-friendly farming in National Parks?
The Welsh Government is creating a new financial support scheme for farmers – the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) – but we remain concerned that National Parks are not yet being fully included as core delivery partners, with little incentive for farmers in National Parks to do more for nature.
The Sustainable Farming Scheme Consultation is now running until the 7th March 2024. You can read the full consultation document here. We believe that a clear articulation of how the new financial support scheme will work in Designated Landscapes is needed at an early stage, but this has not been made clear so far with little mention of the role that National Parks and Landscapes have to play in the delivery of the SFS.
The universal layer of the scheme (funding which will be applied to all farms within the scheme) is currently included in the consultation with plans for a collaborative layer to be introduced in 2027.
But, to deliver the multiple benefits that Welsh Government wants to see ahead of 2030, conviction, collaboration and certainty are needed for those living and working in these landscapes so that they can plan ahead and start delivering more for nature and their business before it is too late.
Government can’t afford to miss this golden opportunity to support nature-friendly farming practices, help reverse the decline of biodiversity, and support farmers delivering sustainable and resilient agriculture.
As the National Park Remit letter from Welsh Government outlines: “[National Parks] are not currently managed effectively for biodiversity as a result of their original designation.”
The letter goes on to call on National Parks to work with Government on developing actions that lead to “National Parks being more biodiverse areas, with appropriate afforestation and habitat restoration, alongside food production.”
We need a financial support system which enables farmers within our precious landscapes to take action and make sustainable choices.