The government is set to unveil details of its long-awaited Land Use Framework tomorrow (Wednesday 18 March), setting out how England uses its land.

The Soil Association welcomes this news and is hoping to see nature-friendly faming prioritised with this and other upcoming policies.

* Soil Association Policy Director Brendan Costelloe said: * “It is great news that we finally have a Land Use Framework. Our food system is dangerously vulnerable to shocks like war and climate change, and this is a step towards greater resilience.
“Wildlife in the UK is in crisis so nature must be given space to recover. But for the land that will remain farmland, it’s vital the government recognises that food production does not have to stop to create space for nature. We can, and must, make sure the land that’s producing food is doing so in a nature-friendly way. We know multifunctional land management is possible, with 30% more biodiversity on organic farms.
“The government also need to set a strategic direction for the kind of food we produce, so we can create more space for habitats and nature-friendly farming. This means less land growing food for industrial livestock and more fruit, veg, beans and pulses, which is a far more efficient and healthier way to feed humans.
“The government’s Farming Roadmap and Food Strategy are the perfect opportunity to do just that.”

* The Soil Association calls for: *
- An increase in homegrown fruit and veg, grown agroecologically with a shift away from growing on peatlands.
- A reduction in input-reliant farming, with support for farmers to grow more peas and beans, which naturally fix nitrogen in the soil, as well as planting trees for additional forage, human food crops, and resources. This could create a more resilient food system that doesn’t rely on increasingly expensive inputs, while also boosting consumption of homegrown healthy produce.
- A reduction in intensive livestock production, particularly poultry with a ban on new intensive poultry units.
- A shift away from growing crops for energy and more broadly from growing high-soil disturbance crops like maize and potatoes on slopes and on flood plains.
- Stronger local food chains and more British food in public settings like schools and hospitals.
- An Organic Action Plan with a 10% organic farmland target, to tap into booming consumer demand.