Our vision of the future is of a world in which climate change and environmental degradation are recognised and addressed by all nations and where low carbon emissions and the efficient use of environmental resources are at the heart of our whole way of life. Where, here in the UK, rural communities are diverse, economically and environmentally viable, and socially inclusive with high quality public services and real opportunities for all. A country where the food, fishing and farming industries are not dependent on out put related subsidies, but work closely together and with Government to produce safe, nutritious food which contributes positively to consumer choice and the health of the whole nation. A place where we manage the land in a way that recognises its many functions, from production through to recreation; where we seek to promote biodiversity on land and in our seas; and where animal welfare and protection against animal disease is at the core of the way in which we farm and live. Through the practice of sustainable development, economic, environmental and social, we will achieve our vision.

Aim: Sustainable development, which means a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come, including:

• a better environment at home and internationally, and sustainable use of natural resources;

• economic prosperity through sustainable farming, fishing, food, water and other industries that meet consumers’ requirements;

• thriving economies and communities in rural areas and a countryside for all to enjoy.

• Objective 1
  To protect and improve the rural, urban, marine and global environment and conserve and enhance biodiversity, and to lead integration of these with other policies across Government and internationally.

• Objective 2
  To enhance opportunity and tackle social exclusion through promoting sustainable rural areas with a dynamic and inclusive economy, strong rural communities and fair access to services.

• Objective 3
  To promote a sustainable, competitive and safe food supply chain which meets consumers’ requirements.

• Objective 4
  To improve enjoyment of an attractive and well-managed countryside for all.

• Objective 5
  To promote sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming through domestic and international actions and further ambitious CAP reform.

• Objective 6
  To promote sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally.

• Objective 7
  To protect the public’s interest in relation to environmental impacts and health, including in relation to diseases which can be transmitted through food, water and animals, and to ensure high standards of animal health and welfare.

• Foreword by Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP

• Chapter 1A better environment and wise use of resources

• Chapter 2 Food and farming: a sustainable future

• Chapter 3 Thriving communities in a countryside that all can enjoy

• Chapter 4 Reducing and managing risks

• Chapter 5 A new department: a new agenda

• DEFRA Ministerial Team

• DEFRA Management Board

• How to contact DEFRA

DEFRA, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, deals with the essentials of life – food, air, land, water and people.

So, its success matters to everyone. Our remitis the pursuit of sustainable development – weaving together economic, social and environmental concerns. Hence, DEFRA:

• brings all aspects of environment, rural, farming and food production policy together for the first time;• is a focal point for all rural policy, for people, the economy and the environment; and• has roles in both EU and global policymaking and so its work has a strong international dimension.

Since the Department was created last June we have already had some notable international successes on the environment, agriculture and trade fronts, and also at home in environmental and rural policy. Mercifully, the foot and mouth outbreak, which did so much harm to farming and rural areas, is largely over. I recognise that there are lessons to be learned from this outbreak, and look forward to the reports of the independent inquiries the Government has established. This prospectus explains how we see the range of our future work. I want to develop further the real strengths of analysis and delivery across the Department and build on the synergies that are already flowing from its creation. We need a fresh approach that drives all of our work in a coherent way so that we can make a difference to the lives of everyone.

In this Government’s first term of office, we made a good start on the issues DEFRA now deals with, but there is much more to do. All of the Department and our stakeholders helped develop our aim and objectives, through which our vision will be pursued. This prospectus sets out our immediate agenda for implementation. I am clear where my priorities lie for the next four years. I am working towards:

•  global leadership to meet global environmental and economic challenges; a green and pleasant countryside and a low carbon economy where we all use resources wisely and reduce waste;

• flourishing rural economies and communities, where everyone has fair access to services and the opportunity to contribute fully to national life; and better access to the countryside for everyone;

• agriculture which is sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable, and which is part of a food chain that gives people choice, affordability and confidence that its products are safe and healthy; and

• lower risk to people, animals and the economy from flooding, animal diseases and environmental change.

How we deliver our goals is often as important to our partners and clients as what we deliver. We will strive to be a world-class government department that is respected, professional and outward-looking. We will base our work on evidence, on thinking ahead and on dialogue with all who are affected. We will pursue a partnership approach to solving problems and creating a better future for everyone. We will put people first through first-class leadership of a team that values individual contributions. And with your help, we will ensure a better quality of life for all of us, including future generations. It is on this that we will be judged.

Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP Secretary of State

Chapter 1 Meeting Global and Local challenges

A better environment and wise use of resources

We are all familiar with the looming deadlines which environmental damage imposes on us all. These need to be tackled by creating economic opportunity, promoting social well-being in parallel to protecting the environment.

1.1 This is something to which we must all contribute – as businesses, individuals and Government; in town and country; at home and abroad. The way to address environmental damage is to engage everyone and to show them we can do it while enhancing their economic and social well-being. This is sustainable development. The impact of climate change, for example, is already beginning to transform our lives. The changes it will bring are already happening. This forces us to consider how we deal with what is already inevitable; how we prevent still further deterioration and how we reverse damage that is already done. It has been realised that to do so, we must take account of three principal areas of decision and policy making. Sustainable development matters to people because it affects their livelihoods and immediate environment: their employment prospects, the air they breathe, the water and food they need, and the land and seas around them.

1.2 Sustainable development means thinking in an integrated way about economic, environmental and social objectives. It matters to people because it is an approach which demonstrates that government is interested in the long term as well as the short term. The public will join us in taking a longer-term view, using tools such as appraisal and selected indicators to inform our decision-making; and rethinking the way we do things, rather than settling for trade-offs. DEFRA leads across government on sustainable development, including on integration of sustainable development considerations into the work of all other departments. But to be a credible leader, we must also practise what we preach. We will publish our own strategy this year outlining our actions on the main issues we deal with for government.

Already we have:

• played a key role in negotiating the legal texts for implementing the Kyoto protocol on climate change at Marrakesh;

• designed the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

• secured a widely-praised outcome on fisheries’ quotas at the December 2001 Fisheries Council;

• initiated a new cross-government review into waste strategy launched by Margaret Beckett at the first ever waste summit;

• announced that we will take forward a new strategy for food and farming, promoting the principles of sustainable development;

• implemented new safeguards to protect uncultivated land from agricultural intensification;

• launched new business guidelines on environmental reporting with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); and

• consulted on developing an Ambient Noise Strategy for England and will begin shortly to map the main sources and areas of ambient noise.

1.3 DEFRA has a specific remit for protecting the environment. We work very closely with the Environment Agency. Some of the most important work involves implementing EU Directives; leading on environmental law; and leading the development of ‘smart’ regulation to simplify environmental laws and make them ‘fit for purpose’.

Global leadership to meet global challenges

1.4 We aim to be the world leader in protecting the environment and are among the international leaders on climate change, in the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and in the conservation of endangered species, and we play an important role within the World Trade Organization, for example on agriculture and environment. We want the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 to deliver practical outcomes on poverty and environmental degradation (particularly on access to clean water, oceans and sustainable energy), and to engage private sector expertise. We are looking for new measures for global wildlife conservation at a series of international conferences in autumn 2002.

What we will do:

• We will work to position the UK as a world centre for greenhouse gas emissions trading.

• We will establish a European Sustainable Trade Centre to facilitate market access for developing countries.

• We will work with other government departments to press for more sustainable agriculture – through CAP reform, fisheries, trade and economic policies internationally.

• We will launch, in partnership with other government departments and UK businesses in financial services, water, energy, forestry and tourism, the New Partnership for African Development, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

• We will focus particularly on the capacity of small and medium sized businesses to protect the environment and, to ensure sustainable development, we will not impose unnecessary regulations and where we do so this will be with care for the economic consequences.

Changing the climate

Our Climate Change Strategy and planned emissions trading scheme have led the world. We now need to:

• work towards the Kyoto agreement coming into force by 2002;

• continue to engage constructively with the US so that, although it remains outside Kyoto, it takes on the need for domestic action to tackle emissions effectively; and

• start preparing for the second Kyoto commitment period (2012 onwards) and for a long-term strategy to achieve further emissions reductions worldwide.

A green and pleasant land

1.5 Our countryside, towns and cities are all important for the quality of life they offer. Our rural areas in particular are important for landscapes, wildlife and biodiversity – the variety of life on earth. We must protect the most valuable elements in our countryside, which includes protecting them from the effects of development, unsustainable land use and climate change. DEFRA will apply the principles of sustainable development to its policies for wildlife, landscapes, farming and rural issues.

1.6 We have already made progress. In the New Forest and on the South Downs, two new National Parks are being considered, and all National Parks are benefiting from increased funding. We are reviewing the operation of National Parks. We are implementing the new provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 for better protection and management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And we are paying 14,000 farmers and landowners under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (increasing by 2,500 a year until 2005) and 11,500 farmers and landowners in Environmentally Sensitive Areas to manage land in ways that encourage wildlife, protect landscape and reduce pollution (see box page 18). We will begin a major review of these schemes this year.

Nature’s place

We will encourage everybody – across government, in business and in communities – to think about the needs of wildlife as they go about their business. Our strategy for sustainable farming (Chapter 2) and our new focus on marine environment will make vital contributions to wildlife. We work through English Nature, the government body responsible for wildlife conservation, and many partners in and out of government. Our work includes:

• a Biodiversity Strategy for England setting out how our work helps wildlife, to be launched in 2002;

• protecting special places for wildlife and bringing 95 per cent of sites of special scientific interest into good condition by 2010 (compared with 58 per cent now);

• working towards our target of reversing the long-term decline of farmland birds;

• working with partners to implement 436 biodiversity action plans for species and habitats at risk; and

• in April 2002, launching a new National Wildlife Crime Intelligence Unit to combat crime against wildlife at home and overseas. In summer 2002, our policy review will report on how best to deal with invasive non-native species that threaten wildlife.

1.7 The future of our landscape is strongly influenced by the future of farming. We will continue to work with other departments to develop the potential of non-food crops such as crops for energy. This helps rural diversification and contributes to sustainable energy targets.

1.8 In many ways, urban and rural areas are similar and face similar problems. DEFRA is concerned with urban environments and the people who live in them. Some of the most deprived urban and rural areas also face significant environmental problems. We will work with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) and local and regional government towards renewal for these neighbourhoods. We will promote ‘liveability'. Local parks must be looked after, and streets must be free of litter, dog mess and mindless vandalism. We aim to foster a sense of pride in public spaces, and to break the sense of fatalism about run-down places where people live. Working with the Countryside Agency, Forestry Commission and others we are also improving the environment on the edges of towns and cities, close to where people live. We also work with the Environment Agency to reduce waste, protect air and water quality, and manage drainage and run-off in towns and cities.

1.9 Waterways can make a major contribution to the quality of life in rural and urban environments. Working through navigation authorities, in particular British Waterways and the Environment Agency, we want to protect and conserve waterways and encourage their full and innovative use. We want to maximise the opportunities they offer for leisure and recreation; for urban and rural regeneration; for education; and for freight transport.

• We will launch a new sustainable food and farming strategy and an organic food and farming action plan. We are developing ideas for whole farm plans to reduce environmental damage and bureaucracy (see Chapter 2).

• We will carry out a review of the best means of reducing water pollution from agriculture, one of the major sources of diffuse pollution alongside urban areas.

• We will work with DTLR to see that the planning system takes full account of environmental, social and rural economic considerations.

• We will make improvements in the protection and management of common land, to be implemented when Parliamentary time allows.

A better future for our seas

1.10 We depend on the oceans and seas to meet many economic and social needs. They provide us with food through fishing and fish farming. They are a vital influence on the climate. And on or under the sea bed there are minerals and energy supplies. At the same time oceans and seas are teeming with unique habitats and forms of life. DEFRA is working to improve marine conservation, to reduce pollution and to promote the sustainable use of the seas’ natural resources.

Reforming the Common Fisheries Policy

A reformed CFP giving a sustainable future for our fishing industry is a key concern for DEFRA. Our goals for reform are:

• securing sustainable fisheries management through greater integration of environmental concerns;

• addressing the mismatch between fishing capacity and fish stocks, and achieving more uniform and effective enforcement throughout the EU;

• ending counterproductive EU subsidies;

• getting better EU agreements with third countries to ensure they achieve conservation and development objectives; and

• to engage fishermen and others through a more flexible and regional management approach.

• We will work to reform the Common Fisheries Policy.

• We will lead the Government’s Marine Stewardship Report to achieve safe, productive and protected oceans and seas.

• We will extend our protection of marine wildlife under EU legislation beyond territorial waters.

• We will start a two-year pilot project in the Irish Sea in April 2002 to find out what isneeded for regional marine conservation.

• We will bring forward legislation to implement recommendations from the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group’s report, as Parliamentary time permits.

• We will work to maintain the moratorium on whaling at this year’s annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Japan. We will continue to protest about Japanese so-called ‘scientific whaling’ and Norway's legal but undesirable commercial whaling.

Resources for people, now and for the future

1.11 Natural resources are an asset, but we must only exploit them sustainably. DEFRA works with all industries and sectors, but has particular interests in food and farming (Chapter 2), water, energy and soil. We have already started afresh looking at how to resolve issues of diffuse pollution of water caused by farming practices. We need to work with the industries that contribute all three elements of sustainability whilst using these resources. We need to help the decision-makers in these industries to develop innovative strategies for sustainability. Clean technologies can reduce pollution and provide new jobs and export opportunities for British companies. Cutting waste can help the environment and can make companies more efficient.

1.12 The efficient and reliable supply of high quality drinking water and the effective treatment of waste water are essential to people and the environment. We are concerned that the water industry is both efficient and competitive in international markets. Water policy will benefit from the close links possible in DEFRA.

Water: who does what?

DEFRA provides the regulatory framework within which the water industry operates. The Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Environment Agency, which are part of DEFRA, are responsible for enforcing quality standards. OFWAT is the economic regulator. England and Wales are unique in relying – and doing so successfully – on the private sector to own and deliver this essential service and meet environmental, economic and social objectives together. Our water industry is leading by example at an international level by using market-based mechanisms to achieve fair pricing for consumers and business and high environmental standards.

1.13 With air and water, soil is a key resource to support human life. Our new sustainable agriculture strategy will help to ensure that farmers use soil in a sustainable way. Our cross-cutting soil strategy highlights the need for policies across government to recognise the value of soil as a resource for future generations.

1.14 There are potentially enormous financial and carbon savings to be grasped from energy efficiency across the UK economy. We have set out a range of possible measures to get the Combined Heat and Power industry growing again For business, the Climate Change Levy package provides a powerful incentive to use energy more efficiently. The work of the Carbon Trust, funded by DEFRA and by recycled Climate Change Levy receipts, will become increasingly important in moving business and the public sector towards lowcarbon energy solutions.

1.15 The Government's first ever Fuel Poverty Strategy sets out measures to make sure that by 2010 no low-income or disabled household will need to spend more than 10 per cent of its household income on fuel to keep warm. Over the last five years, one-and-a-half million households have been removed from this category of spending more than 10 per cent of income on heating. To build on this, we will pilot the use of cutting-edge technology to provide individual homes with both central heating and electricity and renewable energy-based solutions.

• We will follow on from recommendations by the Performance and Innovation Unit and set out government action to promote resource productivity, including action on procurement.

• We will work with the DTLR and the DTI, and we will launch targets and mechanisms to make the UK a world leader in low-carbon and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

• We will develop a Domestic Energy Efficiency Strategy to 2010 that builds on the Energy Efficiency Commitment starting in April 2002 and the work of the Energy Saving Trust.

• We will publish a long-term strategy for the water industry.

• We will publish a Water Environment Strategy later this year.

• We are developing the follow-up to the Soil Strategy for England.

Clearing up afterwards

1.16 It is essential for the future health of our environment, businesses and society that we use our resources more productively. We need new policies to stop waste being produced in the first place, to increase recycling, to find new markets for recycled products and to develop new disposal technologies. Margaret Beckett hosted the Waste Summit, a forum for Green groups, local government, the Environment Agency and business representatives. Discussions covered cutting down on waste production, increasing recycling and what to do with unavoidable waste that cannot be recycled. We are working with DTLR on the growing problem of abandoned cars. We will develop lower-risk ways of reducing the environmental damage of toxic waste.

1.17 We are committed to the safe disposal of animal by-products and catering waste and are working with colleagues in Europe to strengthen EU controls. We are also working with enforcement bodies and the livestock and disposal industries to make sure that appropriate outlets are available and are used.

DEFRA’s objectives are:

• To protect and improve the rural, urban, marine and global environment and conserve and enhance biodiversity, and to lead integration of these with other policies across Government and internationally

• To promote sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally.

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