RSPB warns EU budget cuts threaten wildlife-friendly farming
The RSPB is warning that some of Britain’s iconic farmland birds could disappear over the next decade if EU budget cuts to wildlife-friendly farming are made next week.
Declining species such as skylarks and yellowhammer and less-known species, including cirl bunting and stone curlew, could be lost from our countryside if reductions in payments to farmers for agri-environment schemes are agreed, conservationists fear.
Under plans to reform the Common Agricultural Policy, European Council president Herman van Rompuy is proposing swingeing cuts that could see payments for agri-environment schemes hit by almost 10%, if his plans are plans are approved at an EU budget meeting next week.
However, a survey of British farmers, carried out by the RSPB, has revealed that an alarming 96% would scale down or completely stop work for agri-environment schemes if the proposed cuts were made.
Results showed that 51% of farmers polled believed that environmental work would be impacted “severely”, and 7% thought it would “stop” altogether. Only 4% said environmental work on their farms would be unaffected by cuts to agri-environment schemes.
Martin Harper, the RSPB’s director of conservation, said: “It is outrageous news that president van Rompuy is asking EU leaders to cut the largest single budget for wildlife conservation in the UK.
“We wanted to know what cuts to this budget might mean for wildlife-friendly farmers and I think the results of this survey are loud and clear – it would be a disaster.
“These payments provide excellent value for taxpayers’ money by delivering benefits for rural communities and wildlife – but they are an easy target when it comes to cutting budgets. Once again our environment is set to suffer for the sake of short-term political convenience.”
Cambridgeshire farmer Andrew Brodie, from Manor Farm in Huntingdon, has been in agri-enivronment schemes for seven years and he believes the cuts will be detrimental.
“I really fear that the hard work from all the wildlife-friendly farmers across the country will be totally undone if Europe cuts this funding,” he said.
“Farmers like me won’t be able to afford to continue all the environmental work they do on their land and nature will suffer as a consequence.”
Since agri-environment schemes were introduced 25 years ago, tens of thousands of farmers have helped wildlife.
Research shows that agri-environment schemes have helped reverse dwindling populations of bird species, such as corncake, stone curlew and cirl bunting.
Prime minister David Cameron will be meeting his European counterparts in Brussels for the European Heads of State meeting on 22-23 November to discuss the future of the EU budget and the amount of money spent on agriculture.
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