UK Agricultural Policy Post-Brexit Editor: Will Melling Writers: Bence Borbely, Trevor Chow, Tom Nott, Yang Zuo
These were announced after the paper was researched and written, and therefore our ‘Tier’ approach is slightly outdated. However, as acknowledged in the ‘Path to Sustainable Farming’ roadmap, DEFRA “refer to components when previously [they] have said tiers”. Therefore, where Tier 1 is discussed, it should be taken to refer to the Sustainable Farming Incentive ‘component’ which covers the majority of recommendations in this paper. Where proposals are related to Tier 2, the policy recommendation should be taken at face value and applied to the new component system to fit in where necessary. Because the scheme is still at the point of commencing pilots within the next two years, it is the right time to analyse the policies proposals that should be incorporated into the ELMS to tackle the public goods that are analysed in the paper.
1.3.4 The Public Goods analysed in our paper There is a selection of ‘public goods’ that shall form the basis of our analysis of ELMS, each covered by a section in the paper, and the recommendations submitted to the government: • • • • • • •
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions Improving soil quality Improving water quality Improving air quality Improving biodiversity Improving public health In addition, the paper will also consider how regulation can be introduced effectively alongside the ELMS tiered system of subsidy payments to ensure that the positive environmental outcomes are achieved in the most efficient manner. The correct regulatory framework is currently not contained in the proposals set out in the ELMS so there is scope here for some suggestions.
The public goods that the government has said the ELMS will pay for include:35 • • • • • •
Clean and plentiful water Clean air Protection from and mitigation of environmental hazards Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change Thriving plants and wildlife Beauty, heritage and engagement
The paper’s selected ‘goods’ reflect a range of the goods that DEFRA are intending to include under the scheme, but also include some that DEFRA chose not to include but could be beneficial to consider (public health) given the opportunity re-writing agricultural policy presents. In each section, the problems faced in promoting each good will be set out first, and then our analysis of how best to solve the problems. This will then be followed with direct 35
DEFRA, 'Farming for the Future- Policy and Progress update' (DEFRA, 1 February 2020) <https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/868041/futur e-farming-policy-update1.pdf> accessed 4th January 2021
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