Following Brexit, the government plans to provide up to £150m in support payments for the environment. The funds will be provided by shifting payments from the richest farmers to environmental schemes.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said that direct payments to farmers should end which are based on the amount of land farmed. Farmers will, instead, receive money for "public goods", such as an investment in sustainable food production.
As it stands, farmers get a share of around £3bn a year from the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. When that ends following Brexit, the government plans a transition period to the new payment plan, during which either a cap will be placed on the largest payments or they will be gradually reduced, with the highest earners facing the biggest reductions. £150m will then go towards funding environmental schemes by farmers, such as the encouragement of biodiversity.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has now launched a consultation into the proposals regarding how the caps in subsidies could work. The proposals include:
Mr. Gove told the BBC that: "It's been the case in the past that we have put too much emphasis on trying to generate a form of farming that is neglectful of the environment. Now the balance has shifted... and this command paper today backs farmers who want to do the right thing."
Mr. Gove added: "We're not going to give you money simply on the basis that you've already got a big estate. We'll only give you money if you are contributing to the environment, making sure we have fewer floods, making sure that there are habits for the wildlife that we value, making sure that our water, our rivers are cleaner, and that our air is purer."
