NFFN Cymru broadly welcomes the Welsh Government’s latest announcement but says more still needs to be done to support nature-friendly farming.
The Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) Cymru has given a cautious welcome to the Welsh Government’s latest announcement on the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).
More details of the scheme, which will support Welsh farmers, were announced by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies on Tuesday (15 July).
NFFN Cymru says the SFS’ Universal layer, which should provide payments to almost all the country’s farmers, sets a good benchmark for improving farm sustainability and resilience. It also welcomed the retention of a requirement for farmers to manage 10% of their land as habitat alongside food production, which has proved controversial within the sector but which NFFN Cymru says could boost farm viability in the face of extreme weather.
However, the farmer-led organisation is concerned that ministers are yet to set out details of the more ambitious Optional and Collaborative layers of the scheme, which will be vital to support farmers already working with nature and to reverse biodiversity loss across Wales.
NFFN Cymru manager Rhys Evans said:
“This latest SFS announcement is broadly a step in the right direction from the Welsh Government. It is vital that nature-friendly farming is seen not as a burden on the taxpayer but as a sound investment for the future of food production and nature in Wales.
“The NFFN has been campaigning for the 10% habitat requirement for some time, so we are pleased it has been retained. This is an important recognition of how habitats can be integrated into farm landscapes and benefit both farm businesses and nature. It is also good news that the Universal actions should improve hedgerow management, animal welfare and soil health on farms across Wales.
“However, we are concerned by the lack of detail that has been published about the Optional and Collaborative layers. If we are serious about tackling nature’s decline in Wales, these layers must be ambitious and properly funded. Supporting existing good practice in the sector is just as important as helping farmers transition to nature-friendly ways of working.
“Many nature-friendly farmers are already doing more than is required by the Universal layer and will need the Optional and Collaborative layers to support their trailblazing work. Otherwise, there is a real danger the SFS will give farmers who are already doing the most for nature the least reward.”
NFFN Cymru says payment rates need to be high enough to ensure farmers join the SFS and it is concerned that some SFS habitat payment rates are considerably lower than the ones in older agri-environment schemes. Ensuring farmers are adequately rewarded through the other layers of the scheme and beginning to roll these out quickly would help to allay nature-friendly farmers’ concerns, the organisation says.
NFFN Cymru Vice-Chair Tony Davies, who farms in the Elan Valley, said:
“I’m pleased that habitat payments under the SFS Universal layer won’t be subject to the same severe capping structure we saw under the interim Habitat Wales Scheme. As someone with a significant amount of diverse habitats on my farm, that’s important for me. The maintenance payments for existing woodlands are also a positive step that will help secure their long-term protection. I now encourage the Welsh Government to push ahead with the Optional and Collaborative layers to support nature-friendly farming further.”
Mr Evans added:
“Nature-friendly farming can produce high-quality food, tackle the climate and nature crises, lessen the impact of flooding, boost wellbeing by providing access to nature-rich spaces and safeguard the future of Wales’ rural communities and Welsh language strongholds. With the impact of climate change really being felt on Wales’ farms, the time to act is now.”
