Soil Association presents its priorities for agricultural policy to the Welsh Government

On Thursday 30th April 2015 the Soil Association will meet with the Welsh Government Environment and Sustainability Committee to present recommended agricultural policy priorities for the Welsh Government over the next 12 months.

Top of the list is a request the Welsh Assembly resolves the current uncertainty surrounding Basic Payments Scheme payments for all eligible Welsh farmers this year.

Trevor Mansfield, head of policy for farming and land-use at the Soil Association said: “We welcome the current consultation exercise within the BPS and will respond to it but it is imperative that the outcome is announced as soon as possible, so farmers know what they will be paid and when. The Soil Association will keep working to ensure the Government keeps organic priorities at the forefront of policy decisions.”

“We commend the Welsh Assembly for the decision to maintain the ban on GM crops in Wales. We are recommending they build on this – and the growing UK market for organic produce – by promoting the green image of Welsh agriculture. By ensuring that there is sufficient budget allocated to the Organic Measure, the Assembly can help the organic sector in Wales to grow and meet the growing UK demand for organic produce.”

Other priorities include improving the integration of organic into other sectors of agricultural policy and to increase the diversity of farming in Wales. The Soil Association believes better integration could be achieved in plans like the HCC Strategic Action Plan for the Red Meat Industry 2015-2020, which contains no mention of organic meat production. The UK market for organic food is growing and the Soil Association looks to work towards opportunities for agriculture in Wales to meet that growing demand.


The Soil Association supports organic farmers by promoting the values of organic farming and will continue to work with governments to ensure organic farming remains a priority.