Question

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to use environmentally=friendly farming methods in its agricultural land.

The Church Commissioners encourage existing farm tenants to adopt environmentally friendly farming practices across all their agricultural land. Throughout the year the Commissioners’ asset managers and agents have conducted meetings with their existing agricultural tenants to discuss various environmental opportunities, including hedgerow improvements, benefits of cover crops and other regenerative farming practices.

When re-letting farmland on the open market the Church Commissioners emphasise their net-zero ambitions and seek out tenants who adopt nature-friendly farming methods, via a vigorous tender process, farm letting particulars and updated farm business tenancies. The new tenancies include soil improvement clauses and requirements for landlord and tenant to work collaboratively on conducting carbon audits and environmental improvements such as hedgerow planting.