Farmers Greenhouse Gas plan is first step

Contrary to expectations perhaps, I will not simply slam this weeks' Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Action Plan from the farming industry for not going far enough.  It doesn't go far enough but it is doing what the Government has asked the industry to do. 

Livestock farming is especially GHG intensive.  And it's responsible for overseas emissions when forests are cut down to grow animal feed.  But the industry has not been charged to address global emissions because they are not part of the Government's target to reduce emissions from farming by about 3 MtCO₂ e over the next ten years. 

When global impacts are taken into account the path to making the industry more sustainable gets more challenging.  That's why we got the farming industry together with NGOs, academics and Defra last Wednesday to discuss a way forward. 

Consumption is controversial issue.  It's not surprising that the farming industry's report does not suggest we eat less meat and dairy products!  But the Committee on Climate Change has said that  different diets may be needed to keep reducing emissions from farming after 2020.  And on Wednesday we heard a compelling case from Adrian Williams (from Cranfield University) for reduced meat consumption.  To the credit of the farming industry they engaged with discussions about how we could do this.  We didn't agree on every detail but there was a lot of constructive discussion.  For example about how Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reform could play a part in rewarding farmers to produce less, but more sustainable, products and how retailers need to pay fair prices and play their part in influencing consumer behaviour.

There are other reasons for reducing the global footprint of UK farming.  Communities in South America are feeling the impact of massive soy plantations next to their homes providing animal feed for Europe.  So I'm pleased that last week Agriculture Minister Jim Paice got to see some powerful images from Paraguay.  My colleague Nick Rau has been there recently visiting affected communities.   Everyone in the room must have been moved by pictures of Isabela Portillo with her young son, Diego, in a smallholding next to a large soy field. Her husband, Ruben, died in January this year after exposure to soy spraying.

Last week we came away with a firm commitment from the Minister that Defra would play its part in making livestock farming more sustainable.  We intend to hold him to that. We'd like him to start by pushing for reform of the CAP.  It could help farmers to reduce UK and overseas GHG emissions as well as other impacts on people and the environment.  We need more support for small-scale farming, extensive outdoor grazing and the production of home-grown animal feed.