Countryside Alliance welcomes Agriculture Bill's recognition of the Uplands

The latest Agriculture Bill, published 16 January, is a significant improvement on that introduced in the last Parliament. The Countryside Alliance worked closely with a cross party group of MPs on a series of amendments to the previous Bill to ensure that future payments could be made to support upland farming and its communities. The Countryside Alliance argued that supporting upland landscapes and communities is a public good and should be included on the face of the Bill. Upland farmers face a unique set of challenges as we leave the EU. It is vital that the public good they provide is supported in any future payments scheme. Upland landscapes are fragile environments where farming is extremely marginal. This type of farming needs specific policies to ensure these landscapes and the communities they support can survive.

The current Bill now contains explicit reference to supporting the uplands as well as the importance of food production and food security, alongside environmental outcomes. It is clear that the Government has listened to our concerns and those of other rural stakeholders.

The Countryside Alliance will be examining the Bill in detail and looks forward to continuing to work closely with parliamentarians and the Government as the Bill progresses to ensure that the new scheme is fit for purpose and supports our countryside and its communities.