The chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, which includes Shropshire Wildlife Trust, believes the Agriculture Bill can be a ‘watershed’ for farming in the UK.

The bill returned to Parliament on Wednesday and was the final opportunity for MPs to amend the bill before it becomes legislation.

Craig Bennett, chief executive officer for The Wildlife Trusts, believes the impact of coronavirus has shown the need for nature more than ever in the UK.

“We know that coronavirus has made people value nature more than ever; polls also suggest people have been worried about access to food,” he said.

“You can’t have food security without nature being in good shape – you can’t grow food without pollinators or healthy soils.

“It’s vital that we recognise the important role farmers could play in nature and our climate’s recovery – this Bill could mark a watershed, a shift towards a green renaissance, which would be good for the economy too.

“MPs must not be swayed by the ‘return to business as usual’ lobby.”

The Wildlife Trusts are part of Greener UK – an alliance of green charities – that are calling for the Agriculture Bill to include commitments on:

trade – no lowering of farming standards

regulation – to introduce a regulatory framework

sufficient, long-term funding for farmers to pay for public goods.