New plan to protect the countryside

Tuesday 14 February 2017

Jersey's farmers will be supported on the basis of the environmental and social benefits they deliver, rather than the amount of land they farm - if a new States' strategy is agreed.

The new Rural Economy Strategy also sets out how the States intend to reduce nitrates in the water supply, increase the use of machines so there is less need for migrant workers, and explore new crops.

It's been put together jointly by the Department of the Environment, and the Department for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture  - they say it, "...focuses on economic and environmental sustainability in the countryside. It proposes new policies to keep pace with changes in the rural economy and promote growth in the sector, to protect Jersey’s environment, and to ensure the impact of rural business on the wider environment and society is considered."

One of the headline changes is to alter the way farmers are supported by the States. Currently they are paid for the area they farm, but under these new proposals, they will receive support according to the environmental and social benefit they deliver.

Ultimately the States want all farms to be part of the LEAF Global Standard marque within three years - which is intended to incentivise businesses to farm in the most economically and environmentally sustainable way.

Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, Senator Lyndon Farnham said “The Rural Economy Strategy 2017 – 2021 marks a new phase for Jersey’s rural economy. It aims to balance the needs of the rural sector, government and the people of Jersey to grow the rural economy while safeguarding Jersey’s countryside, its character and the environment and in doing so, provide a sustainable and prosperous future for the industry.”

Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce said “Jersey’s rural economy is the backbone of our history, culture, habitat and landscape, our international reputation and our local sense of identity. The RES 2017 – 2021 takes account of a substantial amount of other work to protect and enhance our environment, such as the Countryside Access Strategy, the Coastal National Park Management Plan, and efforts to improve our water quality in the Water Management Plan, and it gives us a solid framework for a sustainable future.”

The new strategy lists its aims as being:

• To change the current rural financial support mechanism from a payment based on the area farmed model to performance-based model.
• To change the current ‘contract’ with farmers and adopt a direct ‘procurement of public goods’ approach.
• To ensure policy measures incentivise the most economically and environmentally sustainable approaches to farming in Jersey.
• To evaluate the providers and beneficiaries of the Island’s ecosystem services and use this evidence to inform policy development in the countryside.
• To support the Water Plan in achieving a 10-15% reduction in nitrogen fertiliser application.
• To improve productivity by encouraging mechanisation and to continue to reduce imported labour requirements.
• To outsource rural services that sit better outside of government.
• To explore alternative high-value, low-volume export crops that reduce environmental loading of chemicals and allow crop rotations to reduce levels of crop pests and diseases and subsequently pesticide use.
• To protect biodiversity and natural capital.