The Farming Roadmap: A BALI Summary

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BALI Briefing

The Farming Roadmap: A BALI Summary Context Formed in 1972, the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) represents the interests of approximately 1800 member businesses and over 950 accredited members. Members include landscape contractors, suppliers, garden designers, arboriculturists, training providers, students and other related professionals.

The farming roadmap is government’s long-term vision giving farmers clarity to invest, adapt and build a profitable, productive, sustainable and resilient future for English farming, including horticulture which underpins the landscaping industry. BALI and our members could provide valuable support to aid in the implementation of the roadmap’s proposals to improve the agricultural industry, due to their ability to share industry specific knowledge with the government to improve the government’s understanding of the benefits delivered by the landscaping industry.

Summary The government has pledged to investigate barriers to growth in the horticulture industry and the aim to grow the horticultural industry, mentioned throughout the roadmap, is promising.

There is also a push to diversify the landscapes across the UK with the Landscape Recovery (LR) initiative, and this will receive greater funding after 2030. This funding could be beneficial to BALI members as it will provide vital support to the environmental horticulture sector and encourage greater confidence to invest in the sector.

However, there is a lack of focused support for the horticulture sector within the roadmap. A large focus of the roadmap surrounds helping farmers to solve issues with seasonal labour and staffing. While this is a key issue for our members, without sector specific solutions to these issues, any proposed guidance is unlikely to make a meaningful and lasting impact on this challenge.

A key issue that the roadmap concentrates on is water management and reducing water waste.

Nature-based solutions to improve water quality, such as regenerative practices that would improve soil health and promote clean water, are championed. These issues are central to BALI and our members’ work, with BALI members working to ensure that suitable drainage systems (SuDS) are both created and maintained and that landscaping contributes to water management solutions.

Water companies are encouraged to compensate farmers for following clean water practices and reducing water waste. Agricultural water regulations will also be consolidated into a single framework. However, the role that landscapers can play in aiding the reduction of water waste and pollution isn’t mentioned. Water management is incredibly important but government policies around water must reflect the role of landscaping in managing water quality and volume.

Supporting, representing, and accrediting the landscape industry Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, neither BALI nor the author can accept liability for errors and or omissions.

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BALI Briefing

Our asks Despite this roadmap having promising pledges, in future a greater focus on aspects of horticulture not solely related to food production, would be beneficial for the industry. This roadmap would also benefit from focussing on a more integrated approach to the industry, whereby landscape professionals and farmers work together to encourage positive environmental outcomes. We would desire that the government also focuses on implementing changes in urban areas, alongside rural areas, as this would allow many of our members to deliver across many of government’s environmental objectives and give more of the population access to quality green spaces.

Supporting, representing, and accrediting the landscape industry Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, neither BALI nor the author can accept liability for errors and or omissions.