Defra and the NFU held a joint workshop last week (3rd February) on the Whole Farm Approach. The well attended meeting gave farmers the opportunity to have their say on the WFA system and its performance. This provided feedback for Defra to assess whether and how the Whole Farm Approach should be delivered to best assist farmers.
The clear message from the workshop was that Defra must ensure the new applications (electronic versions of SPS, CTS and ELS) and existing functions on the Whole Farm Approach work effectively. This should be the main focus before any new applications are developed.
The NFU continue to support the Whole Farm Approach in principle but made it clear there are some critical success factors which need to be met by Defra. Users of the system need to be incentivised and receive greater benefits. The key benefit that needs to come from using the system for farmers is a reduction in regulatory burden and inspection; and improved access to information that will be of value for their business.
A more detailed report on the workshop is available on the right hand side. If you have further feedback on the Whole Farm Approach that you would like to be raised with Defra please contact Lee Osborne
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