Last year, ministers announced that farmers would be paid 800 800 million a year through a landscape restoration program to convert farmland into forest land, wetlands and forests. However, the fund has been cut to 50 million pounds over three years, now focusing on food production due to shortages caused by the conflict in Ukraine, government officials told The Sunday Times. The change in strategy will be seen as a victory for farmers’ unions, which have argued that the government’s focus on re-use could lead to even greater dependence on food imports and a lack of self-sufficiency. There are concerns from Whitehall experts that Mr. Johnson’s previous enthusiastic embrace of the environment is beginning to falter amid pressure from his party MPs to address the cost-of-living crisis. The time has come for the prime minister to announce his “growth for Britain” strategy on Monday, which will tell farmers to produce more fruit and vegetables. The report will outline a number of changes to design rules and is also expected to address the serious shortage of migrant workers in the sector, offering seasonal visas to poultry farmers and replacing fruit pickers with robots. An excerpt from the new paper, seen by The Telegraph, states: “The strategy comes at a time of significant increases in food prices, mainly as a result of energy prices, and is exacerbated by events in Ukraine, which are very difficult for people all over the country. “We are working closely with the food industry to understand the impact on prices and any mitigation measures.” However, the shift in government policy from the green environmental agenda to food production has angered conservation groups. Craig Bennett, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “It would be a complete and utter disgrace if the government failed to deliver on its promise to restore nature over and over again in large areas as part of the post-Brexit agricultural transition. . “There is no such thing as food security if nature is in decline.” A spokesman for No. 10 told the Sunday Times: “The government remains fully committed to reducing carbon emissions, enhancing green technology and protecting nature and biodiversity.”
