.... when you (sarcastically, I assume) "such a pity we're out of the EU, that we won't be part of their progressive environmental initiatives..." Sorry old chap, you think the Tories and a free trade deal with the USA is going to produce anything better? It'll be open slather for GM Roundup resistant crops, chlorinated chickens, steroid boosted beef, antibiotic fed hogs (pigs will be hogs in our "special relationship"), factory farming, feedlots etc. The EU gave big subsidies to allow farmers to set aside a bit of land for nature and have banned neonicotinoids, among many other good environmental policies. Yes, EU agricultural policy is incoherent, far too much money spent, most of which goes to the wealthiest and largest landowners - a lot of harm but it is packaged with a bit of good. But it's the latter that will disappear entirely before too long.