Landmark Agriculture Bill Passes Into Law

The UK Government’s Agriculture Bill was yesterday given Royal Assent and passed into law. The Agriculture Bill sets out a new agriculture system to replace the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy.

The legislation sets out how the new Environmental Land Management Scheme will replace the EU Common Agricultural Policy, and shift towards the principle of “public money for public goods”. This will see farmers and land managers in England receive payments for measures to improve biodiversity, air and water quality, animal welfare standards, access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding.

Following a series of debates around protecting food standards and food security, the Bill was passed with a strengthened role for the Trade and Agriculture Commission and a requirement for the government to report on UK food security to Parliament every three years.

Farmers and land-managers will now have a seven year transition period, the details of which will be published later this month.