Formal post-Brexit proposals

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a consultation document for after the UK leaves the European Union in which it proposes phasing out direct payments to farmers.

Among the Government’s proposals will be a switch from direct payments under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which are based on the amount of land farmed, to a new system of paying farmers “public money for public goods”, which would mean that farmers would be paid based on how they enhance the environment and invest in sustainable food production.

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference and the National Farmers Union (NFU) Conference, Defra Secretary Michael Gove had already indicated that he wants to replace the current CAP with an agricultural support scheme that encourages farmers to protect the environment and invest in new technology to improve productivity.

According to the consultation paper, which is entitled Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit, the proposals would see money redirected from direct payments under CAP.

In the paper, Mr Gove writes that leaving the EU means the UK has ‘an historic opportunity’ to deliver a farming policy that works for the whole industry. He therefore wants the views of those who will be affected to make sure the changes are right so any future schemes reflect the reality of life for farmers and food producers.

In conclusion, Mr Gove writes that the proposals set out a range of possible paths to a brighter future for farming. He adds that the proposals are the beginning of a conversation and goes on to say that everyone who cares about food and the environment should contribute.

The consultation will close on 8 May.