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From our CEO - We need to stop blaming farmers and work together on water pollution

England
Policy & Views
policy
Government
Water
food system

Martin Lines explains why we all have a part to play in tackling one of the most high-profile issues our industry currently faces.

Water is essential – for farming, communities and nature. However, we can no longer ignore the scale of pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas, or the significant contribution that farming makes to this. That’s not finger-pointing, it’s a fact. When farmers manage over 70% of the UK’s land, what we do, and how we do it, matters.

Agriculture is responsible for around 60% of the pollution in watercourses, and in some catchments, it’s significantly more. This isn’t about one bad actor or one farming type. It’s a widespread challenge across our whole sector, from slurry issues in the west to pesticides and nitrates runoff in the east.

We’ve now had two decades of voluntary schemes aimed at improving water quality, yet the data show little real progress. Nutrients, pesticides and soil are still making their way into our rivers at alarming levels. The system isn’t delivering the results we need, and tinkering at the edges will no longer cut it. To solve it, we must look hard at what is driving this problem.

During a recent visit to my farm, Environment Secretary Steve Reed expressed real interest in this challenge. He’s confirmed plans to relaunch the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) with new options focused on cleaning up water. That’s a welcome step, and one we in the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) have long campaigned for.

The new Farming Rules for Water enforcement guidance, published in June, marks a significant shift. Farmers must now demonstrate that fertilisers or organic manures are really needed for their crops and soil health, taking habit and guesswork out of the equation. Tools like RB209 or MANNER-NPK can help, as can working with a FACTS-qualified advisor.

This shouldn’t be seen as red tape. It's a way to protect our inputs, reduce losses, and improve soil health, all while cutting pollution. Yes, it requires more thought and planning, but the benefits for water quality, biodiversity and long-term farm resilience are real.

The Environment Agency (EA) is still - rightly in my view - taking an advice-first approach. However, we also need consistent enforcement where rules are ignored, because when some cut corners, it undermines those who are doing things properly.

There are signs of positive change. Some large-scale poultry operators have started removing manure from catchments under pressure. That’s welcome, but it shouldn’t take a wave of negative headlines to force action. Responsibility must be built into the system, through regulation, supply chain standards and fair rewards for farmers doing the right thing.

Fairness is a crucial concept here, and too often it’s missing from the debate. All too frequently, small family farms are expected to shoulder the burden while large, powerful businesses carry on unchecked. We need joined-up action, bringing together water companies, housing developers, and the entire food supply chain.

Catchment-scale collaboration can play a big role. I’ve seen first-hand how schemes that bring farmers together, with good advisors and proper support, can drive real improvements when they are built on trust, not tick boxes. They also help reduce input costs and make farms more resilient, both financially and in the face of extreme weather.

However, we can’t pretend we can solve this without addressing consumption patterns. I’ve said it before: if we want less chicken muck in rivers, we may need to eat less chicken. The public wants cheap food, and intensive systems are designed to deliver it. But too often, they leave local communities and farmers to deal with the environmental costs. Or they import food, offshoring the damage entirely, out of sight and out of mind.

That’s not sustainable. We can’t keep demanding more food at lower prices and then acting surprised when pollution increases. Food, farming, and nature are interconnected – and we need policies that reflect that reality.

Fairness is a crucial concept here, and too often it’s missing from the debate. All too frequently, small family farms are expected to shoulder the burden while large, powerful businesses carry on unchecked. We need joined-up action.

Martin Lines

That means targeted support for better soil testing, manure storage, precision spreading, cover crops, and buffer strips. We need clearer guidance and tailored advice on nutrient management - at both the farm and catchment scale. And we need tougher enforcement underpinned by fairness, so those doing the right thing aren’t undercut.

Most of all, we need a food system that values environmental outcomes as much as yield. That means clearer signals from government, fairer contracts from retailers, and greater public understanding of where food comes from and what it really costs to produce it sustainably.

Farmers are ready to step up, and thousands, through organisations like the NFFN, already are. But we can’t do it alone, and we shouldn’t be expected to. Everyone benefits from clean water, but that means everyone must play a part in delivering it.

Let’s get this right – before someone else decides for us.

(This article was originally published in Farmers Guardian).

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