Environment Agency regulation vow must be backed with action, says NFU

The Environment Agency’s pledge to introduce more efficient environmental regulation is good news but must be backed up by positive action that benefits farmers on the ground, the NFU said today (Wednesday).

The EA’s Spotlight on Business report, which looks at the environmental performance of business and the role of regulation, says that over the past eight years pollution incidents as a result of farming have fallen but highlights further challenges ahead in tackling diffuse pollution.

Responding to the report, NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: “Farming’s improving environmental performance is good news, as are the Environment Agency’s commitments to implementing risk-based and more efficient regulation, but, as the legislative burden on farmers continues to increase, more action is needed to realise these good intentions on the ground.

“The NFU is very supportive of voluntary approaches such as the England Catchment Sensitive Delivery Initiative, delivered jointly between the Environment Agency and Natural England, fostering local voluntary action to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture through advice, information sharing, and a capital grant scheme in sensitive catchment areas. This initiative has been very well-received by farmers and shows how much more there is to learn.”

As a new sector introduced into the IPPC regime in the past year, the performance of affected pig and poultry businesses is covered for the first time in the report.

Mr Temple said: “Complex regulatory regimes like IPPC are costly to implement and the long-term environmental outcomes are often forgotten in their design. According to a recent survey of our membership, regulation is now more demanding than ever before, with IPPC particularly highlighted. While we are not anti-regulation, we would like to see greater emphasis placed on more appropriate and proportionate approaches to regulation and, where needed, more incentives to reward good performing farmers and growers with fewer inspections and reduced regulatory costs.

“There are many examples where farming has taken a leading role in voluntary action to enhance and protect the environment, and also ensure a long-term and sustainable farming industry. The Voluntary Initiative has had some big influences on farmer behaviour and led to measurable improvements in water quality through promotion of best practice advice in the use of pesticides. Also, with almost 60 per cent of agricultural land in England now in some sort of managed agri-environment scheme agreement, landscape, resource protection, and biodiversity benefits will continue to be delivered.”


Notes to editors:

Spotlight is the Environment Agency's annual report on the environmental performance of business in England and Wales. This year the Agency is taking a look back on what regulation has achieved over the past ten years and what it needs to achieve in the future.

IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) is a regulatory regime that impacts on pig and poultry units with places for more than 750 sows, or 2,000 finishing pigs (over 30 kg) or 40,000 poultry.

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The NFU champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members.