Tell Defra to Save ELMS, support farmers, and defend nature.

Save ELMS. Support farmers. Defend nature!

The UK Government’s flagship farming policy, the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) is currently under review, and there are rumours that it is at risk of being scrapped entirely by the new Farming Minister, Mark Spencer.

The Landworkers’ Alliance, alongside other allied food, farming and environmental organisations, have been working hard in recent years to support a move away from area-based farm subsidy payments in England, and guide ELMS in a direction that can best support a just transition to a more sustainable food system that benefits farmers, communities and the environment.

ELMS has been designed to reward practices like good soil management, nutrient management, integrated pest management, and agroforestry. And while we realise that progress has been slow and communication to farmers has been inadequate to give them the rassure they need, we believe that a central reason for these failings is that the ELMS is seriously underfunded.

What farmers need is more ambition and financial commitment from the government to support them through the transition, reassure them that they won’t go out of business, and give them the security they need to plan for the future.

We believe that the continuation of an ambitious ELMS in England is not only crucial to building long-term food security and sustainable growth in the agriculture sector, but it’s also vital to improving animal welfare and protecting our climate, biodiversity levels, soil health and waterways.

We are asking for your support in calling on the new Farming Minister, Mark Spencer, the new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey to commit to rolling out ELMS as quickly as possible, and to continue to increase the ambition and budget of the scheme over time.

Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Mark Spencer, Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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There are currently rumours that the Environmental Land Management Schemes being developed and piloted in England could be scrapped by the new Farming Minister, Mark Spencer following an article in the Guardian and subsequent media coverage. 
This is extremely worrisome, and raises concerns over the design of the scheme so far and its ambition for the future. To date, rollout of the scheme has been slow, and farmers haven’t been given the security they need to plan for the future. Payment rates in the pilot phase of SFI have been incredibly low, and while further payments for new actions will come in the future, it seems doubtful that the levels of payment will match what they previously got through BPS. 
A central reason for these failings is that the ELMS is seriously underfunded. SFI and LNR payment rates need to be high enough to cover income foregone and the capital costs of transition, and farmers need proper advice, training and peer support. 
In anticipation of Defra’s announcement on October 27th, I urge you to consider the following proposals to ensure that ELMS is able to reach its full potential:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A more ambitious budget which goes beyond the current £3.5 billion, allowing all three sub-schemes to be broader, deeper and more ambitious in their support for farmers and the environment.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Wider eligibility for ELMS to include small farms under 5ha, and better measures to better support smaller-scale sectors like horticulture, pig & poultry and peri-urban farms which have historically been left behind by previous subsidy schemes.  </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">More ambition and creativity to incentivise the provision of social benefits such as engaging the public on farms and broadening public access through the creation of new footpath networks.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Continued involvement of farmers in co-design process and test and trials.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A bigger budget for new entrants schemes to bring diversity and new ideas into the sector.</li>
</ul>
With the climate, nature and cost of living crises feeding into an impending food crisis, now more than ever it is vital that policy raises its ambition to achieve a successful transition to sustainable farming.

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