ELMs: Farming subsidies plan launches

The UK government has published details of the post-Brexit farm subsidy scheme for England, known as the Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs).

The scheme aims to pay farmers and landowners public money for environmental work and sustainable food production methods.

The ELMs programme is designed to replace the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) now that the UK is no longer part of the EU, and represents the biggest shake-up of farm policy in England for 40 years. One of the main similarities is that both schemes aim to support farmers in producing food sustainably and protecting the environment. Both schemes also provide financial support to farmers.

The ELMs programme will comprise of three payment schemes: the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Landscape Recovery Scheme, and the Countryside Stewardship Plus scheme.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive will focus on soil health and reducing the use of “inputs” such as fertilisers and insecticides.

Landscape Recovery Scheme

The Landscape Recovery Scheme will pay landowners for ambitious large-scale “rewilding” projects, and the Countryside Stewardship Plus scheme will reward farmers for actions to support climate change adaptation and help nature.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive is being expanded to include payments for looking after hedgerows, grasslands, and soils. The Countryside Stewardship Plus will reward farmers for “taking coordinated action, working with neighbouring farms and landowners to support climate and nature aims.”

This includes natural flood management, peatland restoration, and enhancing woodland. The ELMs have been broadly welcomed by farming and environmental groups, though some have criticised it for not going far enough.

The Environment Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, said that farmers were at the heart of the economy, producing food but also being the custodians of the land it comes from, and that these two roles go hand-in-hand.

She added that the government is speeding up the roll-out of the farming schemes so that everyone can be financially supported as they protect the planet while producing food more sustainably.

ELMs vs CAP

The main difference is that the CAP is a policy of the European Union, which applies to all EU member states, whereas ELMs are specific to England and are designed to replace the CAP in England after the UK’s departure from the EU.

Another difference is that the CAP is focused on ensuring a stable supply of food at reasonable prices and guaranteeing a decent standard of living for farmers, while the ELMs is focused on environmental protection, sustainable food production, and supporting farmers in protecting the planet while producing food more sustainably.

Also, the ELMS programme comprise of three payment schemes: the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Landscape Recovery Scheme, and the Countryside Stewardship Plus scheme. These schemes will focus on soil health and reducing the use of inputs such as fertilizers and insecticides, rewarding farmers for ambitious large-scale “rewilding” projects, and for actions to support climate change adaptation and help nature.