Organic groups have welcomed the UK Government’s pledge of a ‘Green Brexit’ in a major speech yesterday by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
In his keynote speech at this year’s Oxford Farming Conference, Gove said that the protection of ‘natural capital’ would be at the heart of future food and farming policy, and that Government funding would be redirected to reward good environmental stewardship and more sustainable farming practices.
Commenting on the speech, the Soil Association’s chief executive, Helen Browning, said: “We warmly welcome the move towards an agricultural policy that prioritises environmental protection and the new emphasis on the vital links between food, farming and public health. The clear timetable provides much-needed certainty for farmers, whilst the commitments on public procurement and better labelling are important for food producers and consumers alike. We now need to see more detail on how farmers will be enabled and encouraged to shift to higher animal welfare systems, move away from synthetic pesticides, restore degraded soils and improve water quality.
“The greatest test of this transition is whether the UK’s food and farming system measures up to the monumental challenges of public health, which was highlighted in the speech, and climate change, which received just two mentions. The Government must also make an ambitious and unambiguous commitment to organic and other agroecological approaches which are proven to deliver on animal welfare, biodiversity, soil health and climate change – both during and after 2024.”
Roger Kerr, chief executive at Organic Farmers & Growers, also welcomed the new direction signalled by Gove in his Oxford speech: “Organic addresses the many challenges Michael Gove identified in Oxford today. We can look at the protection of natural capital, the innovative thinking of organic food producers and the success of organic retail. OF&G are asking for formal recognition of the simultaneous benefits that organic uniquely demonstrates”.
Picture: Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning