| On Topic
The good, the bad and the Brexit There is no doubt that Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016 divided the entire nation. wo years on, it seems Brexit is here to stay, meaning that some of Britain’s biggest industries are currently developing new business plans to ensure business continues even in the cloudiest of political climates. Looking forward, many industries are using Brexit as an opportunity to improve Britain’s domestic strategy and independency as a nation. Leading land-based institution, Hadlow College, recently held a roundtable event where industry thought-leaders discussed a variety of topics, including the challenges the agriculture industry will face during this transition. But the crucial question emerging from this debate was, considering the UK only produces 40% of the food it consumes, what are the solutions for farmers in a post-Brexit society? The new Agriculture Bill In September 2018, the government released the first reading of the Agriculture Bill - the largest overhaul of Britain’s farming strategy since WWII. Divided into nine sections, the bill outlines new data-sharing agreements, farming subsidies and fairer trading practices, to name a few. The ‘marmite-topic’ of the moment, the bill sees the departure from the EU’s controversial CAP (Common Agriculture Policy), a system which has been routinely criticised for its inability to deliver what is necessary to UK farming. With the second reading been and gone and the third due to take place this month, the industry will have to await the final legislation, with all amendments, due to be released in 2019.
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10 | Farming Monthly | November 2018
The amendment sparking the most controversy is in regard to financial sustainability and support a grievance that the industry continues to face. Customary direct payments will continue to be paid in full for the next two years, but will be phased out during a seven-year transition period from 2021. Instead, a ‘public money on public goods’ policy will be implemented; an initiative designed to improve the quality of the entire environment for years to come, focusing on soil conservation, biodiversity and flood prevention. Industry reaction The industry, however, is sceptical of this decision, particularly as this section of the bill seems to override what the country will need to survive on if a no-deal Brexit is the outcome – food. As the industry will have to rely on its own domestic food production if higher import costs increase prices of fresh produce on the continent, it is worrying to see little to no mention of how the UK can feed itself moving forward. Although it is great to see more investment in preserving the quality of the UK’s environment, food is a complete necessity to Britain’s population which the bill must account for. With food demand set to be on the increase, the Agriculture Bill evades two crucial elements: what the budget will be to implement new policies and how the industry plans on feeding a growing population. With 66% of agribusiness currently dependent on direct payments, what are the other solutions?
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