CLA reacts to Defra meeting on scrapping the Sustainable Farming Incentive
THE CLA (Country Land and Business Association) Deputy President Gavin Lane has reacted to a
meeting with Defra officials yesterday to discuss the abrupt scrapping of the Sustainable Farming
Incentive (SFI).
CLA Deputy President Gavin Lane, who attended the meeting, said: “The industry message to
Defra was loud and clear: its sudden halting of the SFI scheme and the total lack of communication
around its decision has sent shockwaves through the farming sector.
“It is astounding that there were seemingly no checks and balances, or monitoring of the scheme,
to ensure we did not get into this situation, and even more astonishing that the government did not
contact industry when it first identified the issue.
“Trust has been broken and urgent action is now needed if Defra is to stand any chance of
rebuilding confidence. The revised version of SFI must be launched as soon as possible, working with
the industry to design a scheme that is transparent and accessible to all farmers and landowners, to
benefit nature, the environment and food production.”
