Don’t be put off by the title of this Environmental Audit Committee evidence. Some seriously big hitters can be seen contributing to this developing debate. Water is at the heart of much of the session. Brexit is providing a major opportunity to look at more constructive ways of incentivising farmers to do the right thing.  

Environmental Audit Committee – Purpose of the session

The first panel is on managed rewilding and other innovative land management techniques, with practitioners and academics. The second is on key issues, including agri-environment funding post-CAP, with farmers, local government and national bodies. 

• Land use and water – Fascinating exchanges and inputs on water and land use in the contact of the Rewilding spectrum and the opportunities of a different way to fund and incentives farmers and land owners – http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2015/future-natural-environment-ev3-16-17/  

Evidence from:

• Sir Charles Burrell, Chair, Rewilding Britain
• Professor Richard Brazier, University of Exeter
• Professor Sue Hartley, British Ecological Society
• Dr Keith Kirby, University of Oxford
• Guy Smith, Vice President, National Farmers Union
• Peter Melchett, Policy Director, Soil Association and Organic Research Centre
• Association of Local Government Ecologists
• Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive, Peak District National Park