ABSTRACT
The concluding chapter demonstrates that the four policies remain insufficiently ambitious, even within the existing parameters, and highlights the key lessons that can be learnt for UK and devolved agriculture and beyond. The policies lack a suitable, overarching objective, such as resilience. The two-pronged approach hints at economic and environmental values, but it is incomplete, imbalanced and insufficient by itself; economic and especially environmental and social considerations are pivotal, but not exclusively. A focus on resilience, adaptive capacity and pathways such as social-ecological services, net zero, agroecology and agri-food democracy could help deliver a forward-looking, ambitious agriculture suited to the 21st century. Despite potential concerns over legal constraints, if the political will exists then neither international nor domestic law prevents such approaches – reflected in the varying treatment of the Boxes under the Agreement on Agriculture and even in the creation of FTAs.
It is possible to improve both agricultural policies and their surrounding parameters in a synergistic manner, thereby truly leading to the foundations for a resilient agriculture. The chapter concludes by highlighting a range of potential steps that can be taken to help improve the resilience of agriculture, within the UK and beyond – especially through adapting and strengthening the proposed systems of public goods.
