Welsh farming, as is the rest of the UK agriculture industry, is used to coping with uncertainty. Changes occur continually in the physical, social, economic and political environments and the extent to which further changes will occur after leaving the European Union have yet to be seen. Farmers and land managers have always done ‘what it takes’ to maintain their presence on the land, undertaking on- and off-farm diversification and additional enterprises, and it may be that new opportunities are offered post-‘Brexit’. Concentrating on Welsh upland farms, this paper explores the opportunities available to those farmers and land managers who are able to take advantage of them.
In particular, devolution and the transfer of some legislative powers means that policies and laws could (and have been) developed at a more local level than was previously possible: important new laws include the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, both of which prioritise sustainable development more strongly than ever. Upland land owners also benefit from certain types of natural capital, often desirable scenery, wildlife and landscape features, which attract visitors, but which may interfere with other potential projects, such as the development of water management and carbon storage activities. Cultural heritage, vibrant communities and, crucially for most farmers, food production are equally important areas that must be addressed. More recently, the concept of re-wilding has been introduced as a possibility for upland land managers. Whether, and how, upland farmers are likely to take up these opportunities is explored, using responses from a recent conference where Welsh upland farmers were able to speak directly to policymakers.