The food and farming campaign group Sustain has welcomed increased support for Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, outlined in yesterday’s Government’s Spending Review announcement. But it says that practical on-the-ground assistance to farmers will be needed to translate investment commitment into the farming transition that is badly needed.
Sustain was looking from the Treasury for a boost in three main areas: health, education, and environment and rural affairs. Its campaigners said yesterday’s announcement offered both hope and grounds for caution.
On farming and nature, Will White, sustainable farming coordinator, said: “This is a much-needed show of commitment for nature-friendly farming. The funding commitment for Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes is a vital signal that the government recognises the central role of farmers in delivering climate action, restoring nature, and ensuring food security.
|”To make this investment deliver, Defra must ensure it translates into measurable outcomes and reaches farmers fairly, efficiently, and accessibly. Too many farmers face barriers to support, so additional investment in trusted, independent advice on the ground is critical.
“But funding alone won’t deliver the farming transition we need. Farmers also require stronger supply chain regulation to secure a fairer share of profits- enabling them to invest in more nature friendly practices. A clear strategy is also needed to grow overlooked sectors like horticulture, which are vital to public health and food security.
“We welcome this commitment – but delivery must now match ambition. The UK has a real opportunity to be a world leader in sustainable farming systems, but only if investment results in tangible change on farms.”
On children and health, Barbara Crowther, children’s food campaign manager, said: “We’re pleased to see investment in healthy food for children in this Spending Review, which confirms last week’s very welcome announcement to expand free school meals to children from families in receipt of Universal Credit. It also confirms support for the further development of primary school breakfast clubs. However, a note of caution is that is part of the core school budget – it is critical that funding for this expansion is sufficient to cover the full cost of food and logistics, and reflects the true price of ensuring healthy, sustainable food on pupils’ plates, and does not result in schools and councils having to raid other parts of their budgets to cover these.
The Spending Review mentions the value of Healthy Start, which is a vital programme supporting low-income families during pregnancy and with babies and children under 4 to access fruit, veg, milk and infant formula. There are no details, but we hope that the overall increase of investment in our health services can pave the way for strengthening uptake, access and the value of this scheme, as part of the government’s commitment to health and ensuring all children get the best start in life.”