DEFRA ANNOUNCES MAJOR BOOST FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMING

The European Commission has today been asked to approve proposals for
a new agri-environment scheme called Environmental Stewardship. 
Proposals for the Scheme include an organic strand which will pay
organic farmers £30 per ha for carrying out specific environmental
management options on their farm, as well as an additional £30 per ha
in recognition of the significant additional environmental benefits
that organic farming provides.

Environmental Stewardship has been developed in response to
recommendations made by the Policy Commission on the Future of
Farming and Food and has involved a high level of public consultation
and a significant contribution from stakeholder organisations. The
scheme is made up of three elements (including the organic strand):

Entry Level Stewardship (ELS)
Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS)
Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)

Entry Level Stewardship, which is currently being piloted, is the
basic level of the Scheme and aims to tackle countrywide
environmental problems such as diffuse pollution, loss of
biodiversity and landscape character and damage to the historic
environment. It is proposed that this will be open to all farmers in
England and that they will be paid at a flat rate of £30 per ha in
return for carrying out a certain amount of environmental management
options across their whole farm.

Organic Entry Level Stewardship has the same design as the standard Entry Level Scheme but is tailored towards organic farming systems. 
It is proposed that organic farmers will receive the higher payment
rate of £60 per ha outlined above, in recognition of the contribution
that organic farming systems make towards increases in soil health
and fertility, benefits for biodiversity and wider landscape
benefits. It is proposed that conversion aid should continue to be
available but be paid as a top-up in addition to the standard Organic
Entry Level payment.

Higher Level Stewardship is designed to build on the basic Entry
Level in order to deliver significant environmental benefits in
targeted high priority situations and areas. The proposals for
Higher Level Stewardship build on the best elements of the
Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Schemes,
but include a series of new features designed to help farmers deliver
the right environmental management. A wide range of options and
capital works will be available to farmers under the proposals. 
These will be tailored to the individual situation and focussed on
the outcomes that the farmer needs to achieve.

Speaking today Elliott Morley - Minister of State for Environment and
Agri-environment - said: "Environmental Stewardship is good news for
farmers and for the environment. Entry Level Stewardship, which will
build on the successful pilot scheme, will mean that many more
farmers have a chance to join the scheme, and that agri-environment
schemes can start to make a real difference to the countryside as a
whole. We expect the organic strand of Entry Level Stewardship to
give many more farmers the confidence needed to stay in or enter
organic farming, which will deliver further environmental gains. 
Higher Level Stewardship builds on the solid foundation of our
existing schemes to produce one of the most flexible and
outcome-focused agri-environment schemes in Europe."

Final details of the new Scheme will be made available immediately
prior to the launch in 2005. Application packs will not be available
until the launch of the Scheme.

NOTES 

1. More information on the background behind the development of
Environmental Stewardship can be found at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/default.htm

2. Entry Level Stewardship implements one of the key recommendations
of Sir Don Curry's Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and
Food that a 'broad and shallow' agri-environment scheme should be
introduced across England. It also recommended that ongoing support
for organic farming, targeted on its environmental benefits, should
be provided through the new scheme.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/policycom.htm

3. Aid for agri-environment measures is paid under the England Rural
Development Programme (ERDP). Launching Environmental Stewardship
requires the European Commission to approve a modification to the
ERDP. The Commission's approval is now being sought but all the
proposals above are subject to that approval. Defra's aim is for
agreement to be reached in time for the Scheme to be introduced in
2005.

4. The Government announced in 2002 that it was setting aside up to
£75 million per year for the ELS, subject to the success of the
pilot, and that this money would be matched by EU funds. The
Secretary of State confirmed in January that the ELS pilot had
succeeded in meeting its objectives, and that money would be made
available to fund its roll-out across England from 2005.

5. All farmers claiming direct payments including the new Single
Payment will be required to meet cross compliance conditions. These
set a new baseline of environmental and other conditions, in addition
to any obligations required for entry to Environmental Stewardship. 
News Release 114/04 of 29 March announced the launch of the public
consultation on cross compliance, which can be found on line at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/capsingle-payment/index.htm.

6. The payment rate for Entry Level Stewardship will be £30 per ha
except on areas of unenclosed upland where the rate will be lower and
where the relationship with cross-compliance conditions still has to
be finalised. 

7. Organic conversion aid: A unified rate of aid is proposed for
converting improved land (other than top fruit orchards) to organic
production of £175/ha per year over the two year conversion period
required. A rate of £600/ha per year is proposed for top fruit
orchards (apples other than cider apples, pears, cherries and plums)
over the three year conversion period required. Conversion aid will
no longer be available on unimproved land.

(15/4/04)