William to tackle farming's bureaucratic burdens

William Goodwin, 2008 Nuffield Scholar and NFST Board Member, will form part of a new Task Force on farming regulation to cut farmers' red tape.

Announced by Agriculture and Food Minister, Jim Paice, The Task Force has been asked to identify ways to reduce the bureaucratic burdens on farmers and food processors by reviewing regulations and their implementation.

They will advise how best to achieve a risk-based system of enforcement whilst maintaining high environmental, welfare and safety standards. Their work will cover:

farming (including horticulture);
food issues as they apply on farm;
food processing where farmer and processor interests overlap; and
processing of farmed produce.

The group will focus on identifying and making recommendations on:

unnecessary measures, which might be revoked or, if EU-based, re-negotiated;
alternative approaches that could reduce the burden of existing regulations - removing 'gold-plating'; and
disproportionate or overly complex implementation and enforcement that could be made more simple, empathetic, risk-based and outcome driven.

Led by Richard Macdonald, the membership of the Task Force includes individuals with wide experience in farming and growing, retail, food processing, conservation, private and public sector management, and regulatory implementation and enforcement.

The team members are Judith Donovan, William Goodwin, John Healey, Heather Jenkins, Richard Percy, Marion Regan, Andy Robertson, and Steve Tapper.

William Goodwin, one of only two farmer members, has been involved with developing an animal welfare scheme and is investing £15,000 this year to improve cow comfort by laying new rubber matting in the parlour, walkways and feeding areas.

Jim Paice said: "We need to target the red tape that ties up our farmers and food businesses and trust in their ability to get on with the business of producing our food, managing our countryside and contributing to our economic recovery."

"I want the Task Force to transform how we implement and enforce regulations so that the role of Government becomes supportive rather than prescriptive."

<< Back