Government launches its Environmental Improvement Plan - will it deliver for climate, nature and health?

The Environmental Improvement Plan can deliver what the public cares about: healthier food, thriving wildlife, clean rivers, climate resilience and fairer access to green spaces. But, with farmland making up 70% of UK land, supporting farmers to move to nature-friendly systems must be at the heart of the plan. 

The plan outlines how the Westminster government intends to achieve its target to bring 40% of England’s agricultural soils into sustainable management by 2028, rising to 60% by 2030, along with plans to tackle nitrogen, phosphorus and pesticide pollution. Getting to grips with these issues will be vital if we are to have cleaner rivers, more wildlife and long-term food security. 

A move towards more organic food and farming would be a way to tackle all of these issues and more. But farmers, especially smaller, organic and agroecological producers, still lack the clear, urgent financial support they need. The Sustainable Farming Incentive and support to convert to organic farming is currently suspended for new applicants, and organic farming is not mentioned in the plan despite its huge potential to cut chemicals and restore soils, and there is little detail on baselining, monitoring and independent advice so farmers can show where they are improving and be rewarded fairly.  

With the Scottish Government having recently announced an Organic Action Plan, England is now left in the minority of European countries without a clear plan and targets for scaling organic land area. This must be rectified if we are to achieve targets for nature, climate and health. 

As people and communities become more aware of how their food choices affect climate, nature and local farmers, government must match that urgency, with secure backing for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, clear rewards for organic and nature friendly farming, and a food strategy that puts good, sustainable food within everyone’s reach. 

Brendan Costelloe, Soil Association, said: “The Environmental Improvement Plan shows that government understands farming, nature and food security are inseparable. But it still does not give farmers the confidence that the transition will be fair or fast enough.

New soil, nutrient and pesticide targets are welcome, and the headline funding is significant. However, without a clearly ringfenced budget for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and dedicated support for nature-friendly farming, including an Organic Action Plan, as in almost every other European country,  now including Scotland, we won’t bring more nature back onto the farmland that makes up the vast majority of the country, and we won’t meet the Environment Act Targets."