Sustainable
agriculture
Position statement:
Sustainable agriculture, woodland and wildlife (PDF)
Farming has
a powerful influence on the countryside and the woods
within it. Intensive farming systems have helped fragment ancient woodland
in the past and
continue to have an impact on woodland wildlife. Issues such as
pesticide and fertiliser drift, overgrazing, and land use adjacent
to woods affect these sites
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was established in 1962 driven by
a desire for food security in Europe. The CAP was focussed on increasing
food production. As production increased, surpluses became
chronic. Increased production and intensification brought with
them far-reaching consequences for the natural environment.
Semi-natural habitats have been lost at an unprecedented rate to
agriculture in the last 50 years.
As food security is no longer as
strong a policy driver, the Trust wants to see farmers rewarded for
delivering public benefits focussed on the environment and wider rural
economy, rather than over-production. European and UK Government
policy is changing to reflect that farming is about more than food
production and to acknowledge that it plays a vital role in
shaping our countryside. A recent review has resulted in the beginning of a
new era in agricultural support payments, with new single farm
payments being decoupled from production. A priority for these
payments is robust environmental and animal welfare conditions and
as a result, the future of the countryside should be much more
positive.
The Trust believes that woodland is central to the future of
farming with land being diversified for tree planting. Recognised as a
“true multi-use activity” in the
Rural White Paper, woodland can play a significant part in
farming’s more sustainable future by providing valuable raw material
and an economic return for farmers as well as delivering a wide range
of public benefits. Sustainable farming is vital to the biodiversity
of our countryside especially
ancient
woodland, which contains more species of conservation concern
than any other UK habitat.
Badgers
We asked our supporters to respond to Defra's consultation on
culling badgers to try to stop the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis.
The consultation has now closed
but we had
a big response from our supporters and hope that Defra listen to the
overwhelming opinion of our supporters that culling badgers is
misguided.
Read more about the badgers
campaign
News:
(All Woodland
Trust consultation responses are available in Word format -
click here)
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