Upland farms face scrutiny as MPs launch evidence call

MPs are seeking evidence on how England’s upland farms can be supported as pressure grows to balance food production, nature recovery and climate targets.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has opened a call for evidence on the challenges facing upland farmers and land managers.

The cross-party group of MPs wants to examine how the government can best support upland communities and landscapes.

The inquiry follows Defra’s recent publication of the Land Use Framework for England.

The framework suggested that upland areas in the North West, South West and South East could be among the most suitable places for delivering climate and nature recovery targets.

It also comes after a Defra-commissioned review led by Dr Hilary Cottam highlighted deep-rooted challenges facing England’s upland farmers.

The review warned that “top-down” policies were failing to deliver meaningful change.

Based on visits to areas including Dartmoor, the Lake District and the Pennines, it pointed to pressures around land access, housing, infrastructure, local economies, farming, environmental policy and tourism.

Its findings suggested current approaches were struggling to balance the competing demands placed on upland communities.

MPs now want to understand how these ambitions can be balanced with the needs of farming businesses, rural communities and those managing hill and moorland areas.

Upland areas, from Dartmoor to the Yorkshire Dales, have been farmed for thousands of years.

They remain central to many local economies and are home to long-standing traditions, grazing livestock and rural communities.

The committee said uplands also provide important ecological environments.

They can help reduce flood risk, while peatlands act as major natural carbon stores.

Many upland areas are also popular visitor destinations, creating further pressure around land use, access and rural infrastructure.

The committee is seeking views on how Defra schemes are working for upland farmers.

These include Environmental Land Management schemes and the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.

MPs also want evidence on how legal protections over land affect upland farming businesses.

The inquiry will examine what improvements may be needed in land use data, mapping and modelling to support better decision-making.

It will also look at the skills needed to support the future of upland landscapes and the people who manage them.

The work will form part of the committee’s longer-term focus on land use, nature and the future of farming.

Alistair Carmichael MP, chair of the EFRA Committee, said: “What does Defra want from upland landscapes, and what do upland communities want from Defra?”

He said the Land Use Framework had provided the outline of an answer to the first question, but added that MPs believed there was “much refining and shaping of policy to be done in this field”.

Mr Carmichael said the inquiry would seek to understand how government policy and the needs of upland communities could be better aligned.

He said farming was central to upland communities and that MPs wanted to hear directly from those involved about its social, environmental and commercial value.

Farmers, land managers, organisations and others with experience of upland areas are being invited to submit written evidence to the committee.