Common grazings as an environmental asset Vicki Swales Head of Land Use Policy

Common grazings as an environmental asset

Vicki SwalesHead of Land Use Policy

Content

• Farming and the environment – an intrinsic relationship

• High Nature Value farming systems• Environmental goods and services from

common grazings• The policy challenge• Potential solutions

Ecosystem services

• Provisioning services – food, fibre and timber• Regulating services – pollutant sink (e.g.

carbon sequestration), flood control• Supporting – soil formation and retention,

habitats, biodiversity • Cultural services – landscape character,

cultural traditions, community identity

Common grazings as an environment asset

• EFNCP estimate that common grazings make up 15-20% of HNV farmland in Scotland

• Semi-natural vegetation and low stocking densities underpin the nature value

• Lack of research on environmental value of common grazings needs addressing

• RSPB analysis of livestock declines and birds highlights concerns

The policy challenge

• Getting recognition of the value of common grazings (and HNV systems) and the benefits they provide

• Demonstrating that the current policy framework fails to support common grazings

• Identifying policy solutions and building widespread support for these

Current SFP distribution

Total approved RP and LMO spend £/ha

Vulnerable Farming Areas

• Highlands and Islands Agricultural Support Group

• Calling for recognition of the value of, and problems facing, VFAs

• Concerted effort to halt the decline of farming and crofting in the VFA using existing and future agriculture support measures

CAP reform

• Move to area based support with redistribution of funds

• Provision for new entrants• Use Pillar I option for ‘areas with natural

constraints’• Ensure increased share of EU rural

development funds for Scotland

CAP reform

• Ensure next SRDP (and sub-programmes) target support at VFAs

• Better use Less Favoured Area scheme to support farming and crofting in the VFA

• Ensure better targeting of LMO and RP schemes (or successors) to farming and crofting in the VFAs

Conclusion

• The importance of common grazings, as part of HNV systems, must be recognised

• Common grazings are an environmental asset• Current public support for common grazings is

weak and ineffective• CAP reform offers an opportunity to improve

support for common grazings and sustain HNV farming and crofting systems

• But, not unless we make the case for it