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House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Farming in the Uplands Third Report of Session 2010–11 Volume I: Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Additional written evidence is contained in Volume II, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/efracom Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 9 February 2011 HC 556 Published on 16 February 2011 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £17.50 Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its associated bodies. Current membership Miss Anne McIntosh (Conservative, Thirsk and Malton) (Chair) Tom Blenkinsop (Labour, Middlesborough South and East Cleveland) Thomas Docherty (Labour, Dunfermline and West Fife) Richard Drax, (Conservative, South Dorset) Bill Esterson (Labour, Sefton Central) George Eustice (Conservative, Camborne and Redruth) Barry Gardiner (Labour, Brent North) Mrs Mary Glindon (Labour, North Tyneside) Neil Parish (Conservative, Tiverton and Honiton) Dan Rogerson (Liberal Democrat, North Cornwall) Amber Rudd (Conservative, Hastings and Rye) Nigel Adams (Conservative, Selby and Ainsty) and Mr David Anderson (Labour, Blaydon) were members of the Committee during this inquiry. Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No. 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at www.parliament.uk/efracom Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Richard Cooke (Clerk), Lucy Johnson (Second Clerk), Sarah Coe (Committee Specialist—Environment), Rebecca Ross (Committee Specialist—Agriculture), Clare Genis (Senior Committee Assistant), Jim Lawford and Mandy Sullivan (Committee Assistants) and Hannah Pearce (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 5774; the Committee’s e-mail address is: [email protected]. Media inquiries should be addressed to Hannah Pearce on 020 7219 8430. Farming in the Uplands 1 Contents Report Page Summary 3 1 Introduction 4 Background 4 2 The Commission for Rural Communities 7 3 An integrated strategy for the uplands 10 Defining the uplands 10 A new national strategy for the uplands 12 Leadership 14 4 Future funding for upland farming 16 Single Payment Scheme 17 Stocking rates 20 Uplands Entry Level Stewardship Scheme (UELS) 22 Common Agricultural Policy reform 24 Alternative sources of income 26 Carbon Markets 27 Water Markets 29 Tourism 30 Future development 32 Broadband 33 5 Upland communities 35 National Parks 38 Access to development funding by rural enterprises 40 6 Conclusion 43 Annex 44 Conclusions and recommendations 48 Formal Minutes 54 Witnesses 55 List of written evidence 55 List of additional written evidence 55 List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament 56 Farming in the Uplands 3 Summary The uplands are rare and beautiful landscapes which have been formed in large part by generations of agricultural endeavour. The future of these valuable landscapes and the communities that live there depend on hill farming remaining as the principle form of land management. The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) was established to promote awareness of rural needs; represent rural communities; provide advice to Government on rural issues; collect data and conduct research. The CRC has strived to make all government departments consider the needs of rural communities when making and implementing policy. The Government has decided to abolish the Commission for Rural Communities—it therefore falls to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its Ministers to continue the work of the Commission and to act as the advocate for rural communities within Government. This inquiry builds on the CRC’s report High ground, high potential—a future for England’s upland communities. In responding to this report and the CRC’s report, Defra must produce an uplands strategy that sets out a clear, costed action plan that sets out how it will ensure that hill farming in the uplands can be viable and thrive. Many hill farms struggle to make sufficient income and would fail without subsidy provided through the Common Agricultural Policy. Farming must remain at the centre of any strategy for the uplands. Defra must tackle the main barriers to hill farming becoming viable, including the management and delivery of agri-environment schemes and the Single Payment Scheme. The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will be decided later this year. The reformed CAP must provide incentives and mechanisms to encourage hill farmers to make the most of the opportunities in the uplands. Upland farming would benefit from a return to a limited form of coupled payment. The Government must enable hill farmers to make a financial return from the provision of public goods such as carbon storage and water management. Hill farmers will require access to improved knowledge transfer and extension services to make the most of those opportunities, as well as improving agricultural productivity and sustainability. Upland farmers also need the tools and support to enable them to diversify to supplement their farming activity. Upland communities should be given the opportunity to develop. Access to the internet through superfast broadband is one element of that development. The Government should support upland communities by assisting local planning authorities to provide affordable housing. Upland communities and hill farmers should not be disadvantaged in respect of accessing grants, particularly the Rural Development Programme for England. The Government must decide whether it wishes agriculture in the uplands to continue. The maintenance of the uplands’ unique and precious landscapes depends on supporting hill farming and ensuring they have a future. 4 Farming in the Uplands 1 Introduction Background 1. The English uplands include some of the most dramatic and cherished landscapes in the country.1 There is no precise definition of ‘uplands’—they are semi-natural habitats, including wet and dry dwarf shrub heaths, blanket bog and other mires, scrub, bracken and grasslands (including acid, calcareous and neutral). The uplands are largely, but not exclusively, above the upper limits of enclosed farmland and have to some extent been formed by generations of agricultural activity.2 This inquiry was prompted in part by our recognition of the special nature of agriculture in the uplands and the Commission for Rural Communities’ (CRC) report on the uplands, High ground, high potential—a future for England’s upland communities.3 2. We announced the inquiry on 16 September4 and received 25 written submissions.5 We took oral evidence from Dr Stuart Burgess, the Chairman of the CRC and Rural Advocate, Professor Mark Shucksmith, Commissioner, CRC, Tenant Farmers Association (TFA),6 National Farmers Union (NFU) and Country Land and Business Association (CLA),7 and English National Park Authorities Association (ENPAA)8 and the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, James Paice MP.9 We are very grateful to all those who helped us with our inquiry. 3. The CRC launched its inquiry into the future of England’s upland communities on 11 February 2009. The aim of the inquiry was to “identify and evaluate the drivers of change in upland communities, and to develop policy recommendations to enable and equip them to move towards more secure, economically prosperous and sustainable futures”.10 In High ground, high potential the CRC explained the rationale for undertaking its inquiry: ...the English uplands are valuable national assets worthy of protection not only in their own right but because of the many natural and cultural resources they generate. 1 In this inquiry we have used the same definition of the uplands as the Commission for Rural Communities. See High ground, high potential, page 26 2 See Ev 68 for description of upland geography and habitats. 3 High ground, high potential – a future for England’s upland communities, Commission for Rural Communities, 15 June 2010, Hereinafter ‘High ground, high potential’. 4 The Terms of reference for the inquiry are at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a- z/commons-select/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/news/farming-in-the-uplands/ 5 Written evidence to the inquiry is at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons- select/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/publications/ 6 George Dunn, Chief Executive, and Mike Keeble, Uplands Spokesman, Tenant Farmers Association 7 Dr Andrew Clark, Head of Policy, NFU, Will Cockbain, Uplands Spokesman, NFU, William Worsley, President, CLA, and Professor Allan Buckwell, Director of Policy, CLA 8 Dr Nigel Stone, Chief Executive, Exmoor National Park, and Peter Barfoot, Head of Conservation, North York Moors National Park, English National Park Authorities Association 9 Accompanied by Jeremy Eppel, Deputy
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