Our current food system is clearly not working for farmers, nature, the climate, or even consumers abroad and here in Wales, and some farmers are getting angry. For too long, we’ve needed a coherent strategy for food and farming; this is now overdue; we all need clarity over the future of food and farming.  

The Welsh Government needs to recognise the multifunctional role of farming and how Wales needs to produce more food for Wales alongside nature protection and climate resilience and that without action – for example, on fair dealing from buyers and better trade policies – we will not be able to achieve a viable farming sector in Wales.

Many farmers have justified grievances about bearing the burden of competing demands without clear and sufficient support. Meanwhile, their buyers treat them badly, don’t pay a fair price at the farmgate and set unacceptable, often utterly ridiculous standards. Retailer and supply chain treatment is getting worse, and there is a lack of effective rules to stop abuse and ensure fair negotiations, contracts, and treatment (see this Sustain blog for more details).  Currently, 95% of lamb and beef produced in Wales is sent out of Wales for consumption in the rest of the UK and Europe. The UK Government must also change trade policy so it does not undermine our markets for the food we produce. Only 5% of lamb and beef from Welsh farms is sold in Wales. The rest is exported and 60% of lamb and 80% of beef are sold to the UK market. However, the previous EU cap on imports of red meat from New Zealand and Australian no longer applies and we are seeing increased imports that is threatening this market for Welsh farmers and ultimately Welsh jobs. However, new regulations on supply chains are being developing by the Welsh Government and these need to ensure that farmers are protected form unfair actions from buyers.

There is also the concern of impacts on global wildlife by allowing lower standards of imports or driving lower standards that could hurt critical natural ‘services’ provided by healthy soils and pollinating insects, which in turn support food production. We also need to recognise the impacts of importing soya for livestock feed in driving the ongoing destruction of rainforests in the Amazon in South America. Soya in the form of meal and beans from these areas forms 59.1% and 20.2% of total Welsh soy imports. Ensuring farming is globally sustainable while providing financial security is important today and for the next generation of farmers.

Traditional farming isn’t static; Welsh farming is and needs to continue to change. Only one generation ago, Wales produced more fruit and vegetables. A return to mixed farming could support healthier local-based food supply chains benefiting farmers, communities and ultimately our health. There is a need to make farms more resilient, and a transition to mixed regenerative farming and diversifying incomes will be key. However, this requires support; otherwise, farmers are burdening the risk of transition without a secure future.

Farming is the sector most likely to be affected by our changing climate; farms can suffer a period of drought then have to cope with flooding all in a matter of weeks.. Farming also contributes 15% of Wales’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are nature based solutions that can help to combat this. Wales needs to recognise and award farmers for their important role in holding back flood water in the uplands, which will also increase carbon storage. Farmers have a vital role in restoring nature, given that nearly 90% of land in Wales is farmland. Changes to land use and land management practices could deliver substantial benefits to society relative to current practices, at a value of up to £450 million per year.

Indeed, the slow and complicated process of developing new, post-Brexit farm payment schemes and wider support has not helped. Farmers need to plan ahead and the slow and complicated process of developing new, post-Brexit farm payment schemes and wider support has been a source of frustration. Even as the Sustainable Farming Scheme is being finalised, we still don’t know what the budget will be, and there is no timeline for higher tiers of the new Scheme, which will slow down the delivery of key actions to address the climate and nature crisis.

The new Scheme needs to ensure that farmers can get the support and advice they need to benefit nature, climate, and other goals across their farms and deliver viable businesses and healthy, diverse food production. The new payments, wider transition support, and the proper regulations to prevent harm to habitats and wildlife can help farmers reduce increasingly costly inputs like pesticides and fertilisers to make more profit (see the Sweet Spot report). This will help protect soils, pollinators and all wildlife and build vital climate resilience, allowing farmers to continue producing healthy, nature-friendly food for all.

The public wants farmers to protect rivers, soils, pollinators and wildlife and to build resilience to our changing climate – by doing so; farmers can continue to produce healthy, nature-friendly food for all. Farmers should draw on this support to demand better government policy, not least because biodiversity loss and climate change are major threats to food security in the UK and present ever-growing risks to farm businesses. Farmers can build strong partnerships at a local and national level, as many are already doing with their local Wildlife Trust. Farmers can use these relationships to build wider support for stronger fair-dealing regulations and better trade policies that will benefit farmers, the environment, and the public.

Let’s not forget there is a great story to tell about benefitting society with fabulous ‘public goods’ – from more birds, bees and wildflowers to clean rivers and nature-based flood management – alongside healthy food. We know many farmers are already doing this brilliantly. Still, we need to demand better policy together so that all farmers can move to resilient, nature-friendly farming – and so they are not undermined by a lack of investment and recognition for the vital public services that they can provide.