, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
And things like soil compaction, does that come into it?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay. So, that particular universal action is something you think we can build on.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
I was thinking about Tir Gofal, Glastir—have we built up some knowledge about this or not?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay. Sorry, yes. I've listened carefully to what you've been saying, and clearly there are some issues around the transition from one agri-environmental scheme to another. How much emphasis has been put on soil improvement and soil nutrients, because this is…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Right. Okay. So, our challenge is to work out how we're going to get the owners on board. Would you agree?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
But it's not owned by the people who—.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
So, the problem we have is how are we going to cope with these landlords. Because they're all part of the challenge that we all face, and it's not a God-given right that they can do something completely different, which then puts—. We're talking about 30 per…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
So, you're saying that we can do this, but we just don't need to do it in this mechanistic way. Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
So, you acknowledge that this is what you would describe as a tension between food production and tree planting.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
This is a complex argument we probably haven’t got time for today. I think the real issue is that the net-zero targets are really, really challenging on all fronts. Nobody’s saying this is the only thing we have to do; it's one of the things we have to do…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
These are some important things that we can’t clarify here today.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
We understand that, Dennis, and that is why the Government already says it’s going to have to be a different approach.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Fair enough. I understand that there are very specific things, and that’s been recognised, I think, already by the Minister.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
I hear what you’re saying about the right tree in the right place and flexibility. It’s a reckless person who says the UK CCC doesn’t know what it’s doing. These are the combined experts in our country. They’re recommending annual tree planting of at least…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay. We clearly need to reframe this, but there are two really serious issues around this. One is that the UK Climate Change Committee is saying that we must have more tree cover if we're going to meet our carbon emissions reduction. And the other is the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Well, we should celebrate that.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay, that's very specific. I just want to put to you some of the presentation that was made by somebody called Niels Corfield at an event organised here last week by the World Wildlife Fund. He had incredibly specific recommendations as to how trees can…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
What is the problem with 10 per cent tree cover, given the huge benefits?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay. So, what's the problem with 10 per cent tree cover then?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Well, I want to stick with trees, though. Trees are important, and why are we having this rather anti debate?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
I think we need to understand that, but I want to just go on to the contentious subject of trees, because this seems to have become a way in which people latch on to dissatisfaction, because it's easy to understand. It's much less technical than a lot of the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Yes, broadening the discussion. Aled.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Okay. So, just—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Sustainable Farming Scheme - Farming Unions
Well, the specific question is: how do young farmers understand the things they need to do to mitigate the changing weather?
