Recently, half of my social media feed is Welsh farmers protesting their governments proposal for new environmental subsidies including the target of 10% tree coverage for farmland. The farmers argue that this is unreasonable and will jeopardise food production. The other half of my feed is people outraged that the target isnt more ambitious, given the scale of the climate crisis.

To me, the whole thing feels like a colossal failure of narrative. What the Welsh government is suggesting seems pretty reasonable All areas not suitable for trees will be removed from the calculations, and 10% tree coverage doesnt just mean solid blocks of woodland; it could be agroforestry, where trees are spaced out and integrated into productive farmland.

This is being presented as a black and white choice between trees or food, but thats simply not the case. Theres an old agricultural adage that warns against farming the last year that is, making decisions based on previous conditions rather than anticipating future challenges. On a larger scale, how do we mentally shift away from farming in the last century, and instead prepare to farm the next one? Adding trees to farms is an important way to maintain food production in the face of increasingly extreme weather events.

For some years now, organic veg box company Riverford has been planting trees into agroforestry systems on our own and suppliers farms. Yes, these trees sequester carbon but its also about building resilience into our landscape. For example, this year we planted 25% of one suppliers farm with walnut trees. Hopefully this will create an extra crop of nuts. However, their livestock should also benefit; trees can extend the grass-growing season, and reduce animals stress from exposure to heat, wind, and rain. In turn, this can help with things like milk yield and lamb survival rates.

One difficulty is deciding what to plant where. Many farmers arent used to working with trees, let alone trying to figure out what impact they might have in a field that rotates between veg, arable crops, and grazing animals. By funding the tree-planting, without penalising farmers if it fails, perhaps we have provided whats missing from the Welsh narrative: a safe opportunity to learn how to adapt to an unknown future, where the burden of risk isnt shouldered by farmers alone.

The rest is here:

Why is a 10% tree coverage target causing revolt? - Wicked Leeks