, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
What does strike me, Chair, out of this conversation is that, if we could get this broadly right and we take a commensurate approach to using the available money to phasing in the important things first—. And we'd have to agree what the important things first…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
That means more to me than CPD.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
Yes, because even CPD would stun me a little bit, as a farmer, I've got to say. But if it was said, 'Well, you're this type of farm, so what you might want to do is look at some of the alternative crops', or 'If you're this type of farm, you might want to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
Swot. [Laughter.]
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
Can I just add to that? It seems that one of the things missing from—. If I was a farmer out there now—you don't look at the complexity of this, and many won't make representations even at the consultation, they'll leave the farmers unions or they'll engage…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with academics
That leads towards what we heard in the session immediately before lunch, where there was an argument for a phased approach. But let me just push back at you. It's the old Churchill argument during the second world war: he gets offered three options on radar…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Arfon.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Andrew.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Where would that currently sit, sorry—that trusted individual—in your mind?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
So, in the 30 seconds remaining, I'd like your thoughts, please, on advice and support. We've talked about it a lot, both in terms of the quantum and the quality, and where that should reside. NRW have a role in this, Farming Connect have a role in this, I…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Eventually. Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Yes. Arfon might want to pick this up as well, because, in the earlier evidence session, we heard the view that there may well be merit in this but it needs to be in addition to the stability that comes from, clearly, input-based payments and so on. Would you…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Okay. That's coming across. [Laughter.]
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Okay, thanks. Andrew.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
And on a Venn diagram, your argument would be that there'd be an overlap there in terms of the biodiversity and nature gains, as well as that type of farming that actually needs sustenance for those wider issues of vitality of communities, as well as food…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
I didn't mean to cut you off, but I could see exactly where you were heading. Arfon.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Listen, we may or may not agree with that, but if we're stuck—I won't go through why we are where we are, but if we're stuck—with the funding we roughly have now, tell me, Rhys, how do we take this forward? If new money appears and we can draw it from other…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
So, are you asking for more funding to come into—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Thank you. Rhys wanted to come in, and I can see Arfon has got hand up.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
And do you think you would agree with where the broad farmers' unions are, generally, on where that would be? Do you think there'd be agreement on what types of farming, what types of support, those would be?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
That's interesting.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Alex, I wonder if I can come to you next on this, because WEL, as a consortium of all the environmentalists, has also suggested including a sustainable farming and designated landscape programme through the optional and collaborative layers as well. Can you…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Okay. That's an interesting, nuanced approach. Can I ask you—? I want to bring others in as well, but can I just extend into the second area of questioning I had there as well, which is the budget? Now, look, I guess people sitting in Welsh Government will be…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Welsh Government’s proposals for a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS): evidence session with environmental organisations
Right, and you've touched on some of those already.
