My Lords, a transition period of seven years is quite a long period in which to phase out old policies under the CAP and bring in new policies under the Agriculture Bill. The transition is currently planned to begin in 2021, and it will be vital for Defra to put in place the necessary support to enable a stable and just transition for the farming community. There is currently much unease in this community about just how it will be affected in the future—a point made by many noble Lords.
Farming is not something that can be changed overnight. Time is needed to adjust farming plans and to secure the necessary capital investment to make some of the changes required. A key part will be support for business advice and skills training, time-limited support for capital investment to improve productivity sustainably, and wider improvements to connectivity in rural areas, such as rural broadband.
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On the other side of this equation is the environment and climate change. It is undoubtedly true that our current farming practices have damaged the environment and are contributing to climate change. We are engaged in a delicate balance between the two opposing views but I do not believe this is an insurmountable problem. Given the pressing nature of the climate and nature emergencies, and the need to bring forward financial assistance under the Bill to support farmers to tackle these, it is imperative that the current timescales are retained. The Government should focus on what can be done during this seven-year period to support farmers to adapt, and benefit from the public money for public goods scheme that will be available in the future. Moving the start time of the transition period from 2021 to 2022 is not the answer. As I said on earlier amendments, the environment and the climate need action now, not later. While farmers are fearful of change, many of them are up for this change and looking forward to it.
Amendment 37, tabled by the noble Lords, Lord Carrington and Lord Curry of Kirkharle, is a more pragmatic approach to this problem and one which I support. Similarly, I support the noble Duke, the Duke of Wellington, on Amendment 38. The number of organic farms in this country is extremely small compared to other countries; only 2.7 % of our land is farmed organically at the moment. It is important that this sector is increased and more choice is made available to consumers of organically produced food. It should not necessarily come in from other countries—we need to produce our own.
Amendment 39 is welcomed as an amendment to Amendment 37. My colleague in the other place, the honourable Tim Farron MP, has long championed the cause of hill farmers. They struggle to make a living out of their land in less favoured areas. I fully support this amendment to secure a specified amount of income for three years, until 2023.
The noble Lord, Lord Grantchester, who knows far more about farming than I ever will, has tabled Amendment 41. Little is currently known about the outcomes of the ELMS pilots—what is successful and what is not. It is therefore sensible to ensure that schemes are successful and viable moving forward. I look forward to his comments.
Lastly, I support the noble Baroness, Lady Rock, and the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, in their efforts to ensure that payments to those entitled arrive in a timely manner. She laid out her case extremely well. It is completely unacceptable for those entitled to payments to have to wait months to receive them. I cannot imagine what would happen if those working in this House had to wait months before receiving their salaries for the work that they do in ensuring the House can operate effectively. Farmers should not have to wait for their payments. Everyone will have had periods in their lives when their cash flow was problematic. As we say, they have had too much month—or week—left at the end of their salary.
We really must do better for our farmers, who are ensuring that the land is looked after and healthy food is produced. Given the extreme importance of this group of amendments, I hope that the Minister will have some encouragement for us.