UK Agricultural Policy Post-Brexit Editor: Will Melling Writers: Bence Borbely, Trevor Chow, Tom Nott, Yang Zuo
5. Air 5.1 Overview Air quality is a public good of crucial importance to human health169. However, its provision in the ELMS has been barely mentioned by government publications so far (see DEFRA’s paper170). Detailed analysis of recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net-zero by 2050 can be seen in the 'Greenhouse Gas' section of the paper. Ammonia from farms is a major contributor to air pollution, and air pollution affects people’s health and wellbeing. Ammonia is a by-product of pigs, poultry, cattle, and livestock, with ammonia emissions produced by farm manures, slurry, and other wastes 171. It is therefore important that animal waste is properly managed under the ELMS. This should be part of the Tier 1 payment for pastoral farms. Grants might also be provided for conversions to less-polluting farming methods, such as covering slurry pits to limit ammonia emissions, and measures to reduce the risk of spillages 172. As detailed in the ‘Soil quality’ section of this paper, there should be a long-term shift to pricing ecosystem services, and more broadly natural capital, by 2030. Part of this could reward farmers for the improvements to air quality that woodland, and activities such as afforestation and agroforestry, provide.
5.2 Paying to pollute The new ELMS should apply a ‘Pay to Pollute’ principle to certain agricultural inputs. Making polluters pay and focusing subsidies on the public rather than private goods, would greatly improve economic efficiency and transform the agricultural landscape. Applying a ‘Pay to Pollute’ policy to agricultural inputs would be the most effective method of providing soil, water and air quality, and other positive environmental outcomes like reduced carbon emissions. An efficient economy is one that internalises all the costs and benefits of economic activities into prices and decision-making. In an efficient economy pollution is charged: it is inefficient not to charge for pollution, resulting in a lower level of economic prosperity 173. In many other
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CA Pope III, 'Epidemiological basis for particulate air pollution health standards' (2000) (32(1) Aerosol Science & Technology <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/027868200303885> accessed 4 January 2021 170 DEFRA, 'Environmental Land Management Policy discussion document' (DEFRA, 1 February, 2020) <https://consult.defra.gov.uk/elm/elmpolicyconsultation/supporting_documents/ELM%20Policy%20Discussion %20Document%20230620.pdf> accessed 4th January 2021 171 Dieter Helm, Green and Prosperous Land: A Blueprint for Rescuing the British Countryside (Harper Collins 2019) pp179 172 Dieter Helm, Green and Prosperous Land: A Blueprint for Rescuing the British Countryside (Harper Collins 2019) pp179 173 Dieter Helm, Green and Prosperous Land: A Blueprint for Rescuing the British Countryside (Harper Collins 2019) pp10
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