Meeting Papers

AEBC/03/13

AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT BIOTECHNOLOGY COMMISSION

THE DRIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN WALES

Welsh Agriculture - Background

Agriculture and food processing is an important part of the Welsh rural economy; the family farm is integral to the character of rural Wales and social fabric of rural communities – underpins strength of Welsh language.

Key facts:
Agricultural land accounts for around 80% of the surface area of Wales. Three quarters of agricultural land in the Less Favoured Areas. Around 28,000 farm holdings; average farm size just over 50 acres. Agriculture is predominately livestock based.

Challenges in developing sustainable agriculture in Wales:
Trend of declining incomes; decreasing employment, fall in number of holdings unbalanced age structure – more than 50% of principal farmers over 50 years of age.
Continuing downward pressure on prices through increased global trade liberalisation and a highly competitive world food market; EU enlargement; changing domestic food consumption trends; growing concerns over animal health and welfare standards. The status quo therefore clearly not a viable option and the major task for Welsh agriculture is how to adapt to these pressures and stay competitive.

Farming for the Future

In November 2001 the Assembly Government issued “Farming for the Future” that set out the strategic direction for Welsh agriculture to achieve long-term sustainability. This strategy included a 52 action point programme whereby support from the Assembly and its partners would be made available to assist the Welsh farming community to meet the challenge of adapting their industry to meet the increasing pressures of global competition. That strategic direction remains valid today – and where the recently agreed CAP reform measures re-enforce the message of adapting to meet market pressures and consumer preference.
The by-word for Wales is to compete on grounds of quality. It is a basic fact that the structure of the industry in Wales does not allow us to compete on price. It is the quality issue that provides the way forward.
The Welsh Assembly Government has put in place the foundations for a new direction. Farming for the Future represents for the first time in Wales the publication of an all-embracing philosophy for farming based on the principles of sustainability.
Policy development was a fully inclusive process – Farming Futures Group included a wide cross section of interests from farming including representatives of young farmers, the countryside, environment and academia, including consumer and food safety interest.

The traditional view that competitiveness based on price alone is the only way to survive. Instead the emphasis is about competing on quality, strong branding and adding value through local processing.
The overall objective is to secure the basis for family farming in Wales that will be more viable economically, sustains the environment and provides for social cohesion within rural communities. This is what the Assembly’s new vision is about.

Support for the Agricultural Industry

Farming for the Future represents the over arching, coherent framework. Underpinning this are:

The 6-year, Wales Rural Development Plan and Objective 1 Programme using European funds to regenerate the rural economy. The creation of an integrated Welsh agri-food strategy. Industry action plans have been developed for red meat, dairy and organic sectors. Initiatives are supporting the development and promotion of food processing and marketing companies in Wales. Delivery co-ordinated by one powerful economic powerhouse – Welsh Development Agency.


Further strategies and actions have been worked up for horticulture (including organic horticulture), woodland development and biomass, and fisheries and aquaculture.


Farming Connect is a team approach to delivering practical help and support to the farming industry which includes:
Free Farm Business Development Plans; specialist advice and knowledge transfer; a range of capital grants for farm improvement and diversification; development centres for the beef and sheep, dairy and organic sectors; a network of demonstration farms – showing best practice in a practical environment; local facilitators to signpost the services available and provide feedback.

GM Policy in Wales

Wales is a UK leader in promoting organic farming – set a challenging policy target - for converting to organic status – aiming for 10 percent of production to be organic by 2005. This needs to be realistic, as the rate of expansion cannot be faster than market allows. What is the case is that the Welsh Assembly Government sees organic agriculture as one of the key elements in the long-term sustainability of the industry. This view, of necessity impacts on the Government’s view on the commercialisation of GM crops.

• On GM issues, “Farming for the Future” provides a clear message - to operate within the European and national legal framework the most restrictive policy possible on genetically modified organisms. That remains our position, and it is not the same as declaring Wales GM-free.

Wales is a patchwork of small farms average size in the region of 50 acres – completely different agriculture environment from US and Canada or even East Anglia. In this environment cross-pollination between different farms can be seen as a reality and with it the likelihood of the “upward creep” of GMO contamination. Organic farms, of which there are approximately 600 either converted or in conversion and covering approximately 55,000 hectares. The Assembly view is that unrestricted release of those GM crops which could cross-pollinate with non-GM crops, would involve a risk to the environment. There is a risk in terms of lack of controls on the planting of GM crops which would prevent the maintenance of an environment where organically pure crops can continue to be grown. Equally the unrestricted planting of GM crops could damage the integrity of other conventional crops.

Plant Health and Biotechnology Branch
Welsh Assembly Government
4 December 2003