Welsh Agriculture Bill must prioritise nature recovery, farming groups say
8th May 2023
Ahead of the Agriculture Bill being passed into legislation later this month, farming and environmental groups called on Welsh ministers to prioritise nature recovery in the bill and support farmers in making changes to help revive nature and wildlife across Wales.
The groups gathered in front of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) in Cardiff on Wednesday 3rd May to support a WWF-led campaign for the new Agriculture Bill to address the nature emergency in Wales and support farmers in helping to reverse the trend.
They called on Members of the Senedd (MSs) to amend the bill – which is set to pave the way for a new farm support scheme – so that it delivers for wildlife, before it is passed into legislation later this month.
Soil Association head of Welsh Policy, Andrew Tuddenham, who attended the event at the Senedd, said: “Wales is well placed to produce red meat in a way that helps the environment – but intensive farming has driven nature to the brink, putting farming and the wildlife we cherish under threat.
“A shocking one in six species are threatened in Wales and farmers were at breaking point last year after the driest summer for more than a century. This clearly is not sustainable.”
He urged the Welsh government to act now to ensure the Agriculture Bill recognises the pivotal role farmers have to play in nature restoration. He highlighted that farms which enable nature to thrive through well-managed habitats – incorporating healthy soils, thicker hedgerows, abundant trees, and diverse grasslands – are best placed to maintain sustainable food production in the face of climate change.
“Nature-friendly farming like organic and agroecology is essential. Slashing reliance on profit-eroding inputs of imported feed, fertilisers and pesticides makes sense for protecting both businesses and wildlife,” he added.
“The Welsh Government rightly states that the climate and nature emergencies represent the biggest threat to global food security. The Agriculture Bill must not be a missed opportunity to clearly address the nature emergency in Wales and support farmers to make the big changes that are urgently needed,” Mr Tuddenham concluded.
