Farmers and growers have received a call to action from farming minister Jim Paice as the Campaign for the Farmed Environment (CFE) marks its first birthday.
In helping the CFE partners celebrate all that has been achieved during the first 12 months of the campaign, Paice said now was the time for farmers, growers and land managers to rise to the challenge and lead industry in looking after the environment.
“I’ve heard a clear message from farmers that they are the best custodians of the countryside,” he said. “Now is the time for them to prove this, and to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for their environment. It is vital for more farmers to rise to the challenges set by the Campaign, and to show that the industry can take the lead in helping to enhance farmland birds, wildlife, soil and water.”
Since the launch of the CFE on November 5 2009, more than 60 beacon farms are now extolling the virtues of the Campaign and demonstrating the initiative working in practice. There has also been a 13 per cent increase in the uptake of key target options in Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) across the Campaign target counties.
Those behind the campaign urged all farmers renewing or joining Entry Level Stewardship to ensure that they include key target options in their agreements to help the campaign achieve its targets by 2012.
NFU president Peter Kendall said: “At a time when government is looking at empowering individuals the CFE is a good example of farmers on the ground working to make a real difference to our environment and wildlife, while producing quality food.
“The industry has demonstrated it can work together to solve environmental challenges without the need for costly and burdensome regulation.”
No comments yet