UK’s Post-Brexit Farm Subsidies Will Prioritize Carbon Sequestration

Farming/Growing, Feedstocks, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, Funding/Financing/Investing, grants, Infrastructure, Opinions, Policy, Sustainability, UK (United Kingdom)

January 23, 2020

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(Our Daily Planet) …Under the bill, introduced to Parliament this week and expected to become law within a few months, farmers will be given subsidies not simply for cultivating land—the current EU system—but for delivering “public goods.” These include sequestering carbon in trees or soil, enhancing habitat with pollinator-friendly flowers, and improving public access to the countryside.

The Rollout: Science Mag explained that “to ease the transition, direct subsidies will be phased out over 7 years beginning in 2021, and the new payments for environmental services will be tested in pilot projects.” Additionally, the UK’s food security will be regularly assessed by parliament to ensure that the transition goes smoothly for Britons.

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UK Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers, said the bill will “transform British farming, enabling a balance between food production and the environment which will safeguard our countryside and farming communities for the future.” Villiers added that the new subsidies are “one of the most important environmental reforms for many years.”

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As ITV added, environmental groups have welcomed the proposed legislation to support farmers and tackle the nature and climate crises.

Why This Matters: Farm subsidies are one of the most political government programs both here and abroad. A report last year from the Food and Land Use Coalition called for the redirection of “perverse” payments into carbon sequestration if we want a shot at fighting climate change.

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In the US, almost all of the top 2020 presidential candidates have come out with a climate change plan that updates ag policy to bolster soil carbon and regenerative farming practices. READ MORE

United Kingdom to embark on ‘agricultural revolution’ in break from EU farm subsidies (Science Magazine)

New land use report urges increase of bioenergy crops in the UK (TerraVesta)

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