Conclusion
114.We welcome the level of ambition in Defra’s consultation on the future for food, farming and the environment and support its aim to create a new funding model for agriculture based on using public money to pay for public goods. It should seek to deliver public support for the integration of managing the land for environmental benefits and profitable food production. We are however concerned at the absence of detail in the consultation. Too many central tenets of the policy remain unclear. Without clarity on funding, timing and delivery of the future agricultural policy, there is a risk that Defra’s welcome ambitions will not be met. We look forward to receiving clarification and the opportunity to provide pre-legislative scrutiny well before the introduction of the Agriculture Bill.
Published: 6 June 2018