Set-aside and environment: A case study in Southern England

The characteristics of both voluntary and compulsory programmes, introduced respectively in 1988 and 1992, for the setting aside of farmland in the European Union (EU) are outlined, and the operation of set-aside is analysed via a survey of farmers in a predominantly cereal-growing area in Southern England. Emphasis is placed on the potential for set aside to yield environmental benefits. In analysing this potential, it is revealed that limited conservation gains have been realised, with restrictions attributable to the nature of the set-aside scheme itself, farmers' attitudes to set-aside and insufficient support for farmers to modify existing systems in favour of more environmentally-friendly practices, Against the background of proposals to scale down set-aside in the EU, the lack of attention to ensuring greater environmental gain from this scheme is viewed as an opportunity spurned by policy-makers.