Agriculture & Rural Development
Agriculture and rural development are of crucial importance to the South West, which is the most rural region in England. 80% of the land is in agricultural use and 3.3% of the working population is employed in agriculture. Agriculture not only produces food, it also fulfils other functions such as the protection of nature, the environment and the landscape – all of which are also vital to the South West.
The South West receives around €400m annually from the Common Agricultural Policy (which includes rural development funding as well as the traditional Pillar 1 direct payments to farmers). For 2007-2013 there are no longer rural development measures within the structural funds programmes, as all rural development activity transfers to the mainstream programme, which in the case of England is the Rural Development Programme for England. A number of changes have also been introduced to the management of this programme in England, with the South West England Regional Development Agency managing delivery of three of the four priorities under the programme (around 20% of the overall budget), whilst Natural England is managing the Agri-Environment measures at an all-England level (around 80% of the programme budget). More information is available on the South West of England Rural Development Gateway.
