Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they provide to farmers and food growers on protecting water quality and the management of soil and nutrients.

The Environment Agency (EA) provides advice and guidance on pollution prevention to farmers and agricultural businesses to help them reduce the risk of causing environmental pollution and the costs of clean up. There are around 100,000 agricultural premises in England which can benefit from this guidance. This helps farmers become or remain compliant with regulations and the direct legislation which prohibits pollution. It is an offence under the Water Resources Act to cause pollution, so where serious or significant pollution does happen the EA will also take direct enforcement action.

The EA bases its advice around a consistent set of integrated key actions which farmers can take to manage environmental impacts. These key advisory actions will help to improve and protect water quality through the management of soils and nutrients, secure water resources, adapt to a changing climate and reduce flood risk. Other specific advice includes information to help farmers control nutrient levels from organic fertiliser and manufactured fertiliser use, previously known as the Code of Good Agricultural Practice (CoGAP). Where appropriate the EA will also signpost farmers to other partners for specialist support as well as grants which may be available through programmes such as Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.