Sustainable Farming Incentive – OF&G statement

OF&G welcomes Defra’s announcement on the roll-out of the SFI scheme in 2022 and the indication that there is a place for incorporating organic with the emerging regulatory framework.

The mention of ‘an easily accessible, holistic package for organic farmers’ is a glimpse of an acknowledgement that we’ve been calling for, based on organic’s clear, verified and robust standards and proven delivery of environmental benefits. Now we need to see exactly how this will be integrated into legislation.

During Environment Secretary, George Eustice’s speech at the CLA Conference, he provided six examples of farmers embracing environmentally benign farming practices, two of which were from certified organic farmers. This clearly illustrates what OF&G have been pushing for in showcasing that a tried and tested organic approach will deliver the transformative outcomes that Defra seeks to secure.

The challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, the degradation of soils and the depletion of natural resources, must all be urgently addressed. If future policy outcomes are to deliver against these targets, then diverse, multi-functional farming solutions are essential.

Mr Eustice rightly says that ‘success in farming requires attention to detail’. He must be mindful to apply the same rule to government policy making.

We’ll continue to monitor future developments relating to the SFI and maintain our dialogue with Defra to ensure that organic is consistently and fairly represented.

Statement from OF&G CEO Roger Kerr

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Environment Secretary speech at CLA Conference 2 December 2021

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