Future farming - Kitchen Garden Magazine

These ideas, says the SA, have the potential to transform farming…

The Soil Association has launched a new report setting out six ‘game-changing’ ideas for the future of UK farming policy after we leave the EU – and there’s plenty in it that will chime with gardeners of all persuasions.

The proposals are:

Article continues below...
Advert

Enjoy more Kitchen Garden reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.

A national agroforestry strategy
Investing in soil
A tipping point for organic
A good life for farm animals
Support for farmer innovation
Making the most of public procurement

These ideas, says the SA, have the potential to transform farming and land use at the scale and pace required to meet multiple challenges, from tackling climate change and nature degradation to supporting rural livelihoods and improving public health.

The agroforestry proposal, for instance, builds upon a proven horticultural technique. Agroforestry brings trees into fields. They can be in rows through crops, dotted through pasture like parkland, or planted closer together to provide cover for plants or animals. Agroforestry can increase yields and profitability, boost resilience through diversity, and deliver big environmental benefits. It would dramatically mitigate soil erosion, nitrogen leaching and biodiversity loss, while increasing carbon sequestration.

Sign-up to the Kitchen Garden Magazine Newsletter

Enter your e-mail address below to see a free digital back issue of Kitchen Garden Magazine and get regular updates straight to your inbox…

You can unsubscribe at any time.

Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.