Organic Farmers & Growers (OF&G) today urged ministers to utilise organic farming’s “proven” nature recovery capability and its capacity to build resilience and lower long-term environmental and economic costs. 

Responding to media reports this week that the new Labour Government is planning to cut £100 million from England’s nature-friendly farming budget, the organic certifier said that such a reduction in the farming budget would be a “huge blow” to national efforts to protect the country’s natural assets and build food security.

Commenting, OF&G CEO, Roger Kerr, said: “If this is an indication of future cuts to help address the Treasury’s disclosed £22 billion shortfall, then we urgently need increased adoption of impactful solutions that can improve farmers’ resilience to extreme weather and to help mitigate the massive losses we’re seeing in biodiversity.

“As a defined and independently audited approach, organic farming is proven to deliver high levels of nature recovery with around 50% more abundance of wildlife, and up to 34% more wildlife species, whilst still producing good quality food.

“It’s not just biodiversity where organic triumphs. Across the board, organic farming consistently lowers long-term environmental and economic costs. It improves water quality, lowers energy use, enhances food security, and a reduces soil erosion and loss.

“The gains from increased uptake of organic would benefit everyone. It’s vital farming systems that simultaneously deliver across all Defra’s priorities are supported by government. By encouraging greater policy support for organic farmers and those in transition while signalling organic’s environmental credentials to shoppers, we can serve the greater public interest.”