Catchment-Sensitive Farming: Tackling Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in England —Policies and Drivers - Water and Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies - page 259

Chapter 17.
Catchment-Sensitive Farming:
Tackling Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in England —
Policies and Drivers

Soheila Amin-Hanjani 1 and Russell Todd 2

Diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) is a significant contributor to the long-
term degradation of UK rivers, lakes and groundwaters — 70 % of nitrates and 44 % of
phosphorus loads in UK surface waters comes from agriculture. Within the EC, the key
driver for tackling DWPA is the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The paper
discusses the approach being taken in the UK to meet the challenging targets set by WFD
through Catchment-Sensitive Farming (CSF). The challenge is to identify appropriate
and most cost-effective measures for tackling the impact of farming on the environment
while ensuring, in the long term, a sustainable farming industry. This paper details the
current policies in place including action under the EC Nitrates Directive, Environmental
Stewardship Schemes under CAP and activity to encourage early voluntary action by
farmers (CSF Delivery project). Details of the complementary work being taken forward
on the use of other policy instruments, such as regulation and analysis on development of
an effective package of policy measures for tackling DWPA, is also discussed.

Background

In the UK, Agriculture covers 76% of the land area of England and Wales — total
land use area for agriculture in the UK is around 18,000,000 hectares with approximately
175,000 main farm holdings (Defra Farm Census 2001). It is not surprising, therefore,
that agriculture plays a key role in determining what the UK's landscape looks like, what
happens on the land, and consequently, impacts of land use on the environment.

1. Head of Branch, Catchment-Sensitive Farming Policy, Water Quality Division, Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), London, United Kingdom.

2. Policy Advisor, Catchment-Sensitive Farming Policy, Water Quality Division, Department for

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), London, United Kingdom.