British farmers need more financial support to combat the climate crisis and reverse wildlife decline, a new report suggests.
The farming industry is 'ill-equipped and under-resourced' to transition to a more sustainable system, it says.
Release by the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), the report reveals that an overwhelming majority (95%) believe that greener farming will play a critical role in addressing and mitigating climate change.
However, 90% of those surveyed believe the industry cannot become more sustainable as there isn't enough financial support to do so.
Agriculture and food currently receive under 10% of UK-directed grants to provide support to transition to more sustainable agriculture.
And yet the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released in August, shows that better land use is a critical resource to tackle climate change.
The NFFN's survey goes on to show that over half (54%) of farmers don’t trust the government to deliver money for its public goods policy and 36% are not sure.
Meanwhile, half of farmers (49%) do not believe that £3bn, an amount the industry could receive under new legislation, is enough to support the delivery of public goods.
Martin Lines, chair of the group, said: “Unless we urgently transition to a system that produces sustainable food, reduces emissions and sequesters carbon, farmer livelihoods and future food production will be threatened, and the impacts of climate change will escalate.
“It’s clear that farmers across the UK feel ill-equipped and under-resourced. The Nature Friendly Farming Network can play a pivotal role in upskilling farmers but we need financial support to do so.
“We are calling on foundations and funders to release the capital we need to support farmers during these challenging times so they can adapt.”
The NFFN is a 1000-member strong network established last year to advocate sustainable farming.
