皇家华人

NFU and NGOs call for urgent action on unfair environmental scheme

21 February 2025

Lancashire uplands farmland

The National Farmers鈥� Union, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, National Trust and Wildlife and Countryside Link have come together to write to the Defra Secretary on behalf of farmers in Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) to urge for agreement holders to be treated fairly in the agricultural transition.

These farm businesses, many of which are in the hills and uplands, and are custodians of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Protected Landscapes, are the caretakers of the countryside and have been delivering for the environment for years. However, they have been left behind on the transition to the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs). That is why the letter is asking Defra to:

  • Offer an uplift to HLS agreement rates to properly reward environmental protection, backdated to the 1st of January 2025.
  • Implement a HLS pathway that enables those who want to join ELMs agreements to do so by January 2027.
  • Meet to discuss concerns and hear how schemes to support a profitable, productive and sustainable farming industry could be delivered.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all in common agreement. Early adopters of HLS, the farmers at the vanguard of environmental protection who manage some of our most important landscapes for wildlife and biodiversity, must be treated fairly for the work they do.

鈥淲hile this is important for all farmers, it鈥檚 especially so for those in the uplands, farming in SSSIs and Protected Landscapes. Their incomes have been slashed, many haven鈥檛 seen an increase to HLS payment levels for decades and they鈥檙e stuck in agreements, unable to convert to ELMs. At the same time these businesses have been exposed to the same market and weather volatility experienced across the industry and face the threat of inheritance tax changes. They鈥檙e being crippled from all angles.

鈥淭o ensure farmers in these legacy agreements can continue to do what they do best, produce food for the nation while looking after the countryside, it is vital that Defra delivers an uplift to HLS payments and introduces a successful pathway for conversion. Without this, the country鈥檚 most cherished landscapes will look unrecognisable.鈥�

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