Natural England

Responding to the government’s announcement on set aside today following on from the EU decision to reduce the land required to be set aside from agricultural production to 0%, Natural England and the Environment Agency have warned that loss of set-aside land on a large scale will be bad for the environment and biodiversity and regret there will be no safeguards in place to ensure that the environmental legacy of set aside is maintained.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England said: "We welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to seek a long term solution through the CAP Health Check. We will continue to work with Defra and land managers to monitor the effects of this decision on the environment.”

Sir Martin continued, “However, the fact remains that this is a disappointing decision which could have serious consequences for the natural environment, particularly in the context of rising commodity prices. Up to 200,000 hectares of land - an area the size of Warwickshire - could return to production, putting rare plants and threatened farmland birds at risk. With farmers having strong financial incentives to expand their production, the environmental benefits which set aside delivered on a large scale could well be lost.”

Sir John Harman, Chair of the Environment Agency said: “In our joint document Good Farming Better Environment the NFU and FUW signed up to addressing environmental challenges. This reduction in the set aside rate will make it more difficult to deliver. There is now a real urgency for the farming community to work with Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England to demonstrate a commitment to caring for the farmed environment. We call upon farmers not to plough up at least their non-rotational set-aside but manage it for the environment as they have done for some years.”

The Secretary of State considered concerns from Natural England and the Environment Agency on how to implement the Agriculture Council’s decision on zero set aside without compromising on environmental standards. Natural England and the Environment Agency will be monitoring the situation carefully over the coming months and will be urging Defra to consider an effective solution for the 2008/09 growing season, if it becomes apparent that farmers are returning more land to production than has been forecast.

It is important that Defra uses the opportunity of the CAP Health Check to negotiate for appropriate and effective set-aside legacy measures. Natural England and the Environment Agency will be offering their full support to Defra in trying to influence these negotiations to achieve this outcome.

Ends

For further information contact: The National Press Office on 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098005.

Media enquiries Environment Agency: 020 7863 8710 (five lines), or outside normal office hours, please contact the National Duty Press Officer on 07798 882 092 www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Notes to Editors

1. Natural England is working to enhance biodiversity, landscape and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promote access, recreation and public well-being, and contribute to the way natural resources are managed so that they can be enjoyed now and by future generations.

2. The Environment Agency is the leading public body for protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales. It is the agency’s job to make sure that air, land and water are looked after by everyone in today's society, so that tomorrow's generations inherit a cleaner, healthier world.

3. The European Commission (EC) first introduced set-aside into the Common Agricultural Policy in 1988 as a supply control mechanism in response to the over production of cereals and increased public sector expenditure on these surpluses during the 1980s. Set-aside policy looks likely to be abolished as part of the ‘CAP Health Check’ in 2008/09. Some set aside land is already coming back into production as a result of rules allowing farmers to grow biofuels on it.

4. Most set-aside is managed as rotational set-aside, which can provide seed food for birds through the winter. The remainder is non-rotational set-aside, which can buffer wildlife habitats, protect watercourses and soils, and provide nesting and insect-rich habitat through the summer. In addition, set-aside can be used to create wild bird cover crops, plant new woodland, or, under a derogation from Government, provide nesting habitat for lapwings, feeding habitat for wintering swans and geese or habitat for rare arable plants. There are also several agri-environment options that can be implemented on set-aside.