The House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, which scrutinises the administration, spending, and policy of Defra, has launched an inquiry into soil health today.
The Committee is seeking views on the five following questions:
- How can the Government measure progress towards its goal of making all soils sustainably managed by 2030? What are the challenges in gathering data to measure soil health and how can these barriers be overcome?
- Do current regulations ensure that all landowners/land managers maintain and/or improve soil health? If not, how should they be improved?
- Will the standards under Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) have sufficient ambition and flexibility to restore soils across different types of agricultural land? What are the threats and opportunities for soil health as ELMs are introduced?
- What changes do we need to see in the wider food and agriculture sector to encourage better soil management and how can the Government support this transition?
- What does the UK Government need to do to tackle other stressors on soil health such as soil contamination?
The government deadline for submissions is 5 February 2023.
Read MPs launch inquiry into soil health - Committees - UK Parliament for more details from the EFRA Committee.
Read the NFU’s Foundation of Food Soils report
The NFU wants to hear from you
We want to hear your feedback on the questions above, to contribute to the NFU’s written evidence that will be submitted to the EFRA committee.
Send us your views by 20 January via email: [email protected]
