Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Today, I have launched 'Sustainable Farming and our Land'. This consultation sets out my proposals for agricultural support after Brexit. 'Sustainable Farming and our Land' sets out proposals and seeks views on the new sustainable farming scheme and the underpinning policy framework. It also sets out proposals for wider areas of support to help the scheme operate, including advice, industry support and regulation. Further, it provides an update on transitional arrangements and explains what will happen after this consultation, including how impact assessments will be prepared. 

Last year, we published the 'Brexit and our land' consultation. Over 12,000 responses were received and we carried out extensive engagement with farmers and other stakeholders. We've carefully considered the views expressed in the consultation and have made a number of changes to our proposals. These include explicitly recognising the interaction between food production and environmental outcomes. This is important. We are proposing to directly support the economic, environmental and social contribution of farmers, foresters and other land managers. Other important changes that take account of views expressed are set out in the consultation.

While the Welsh Government can propose policy, it is only farmers, foresters and other land managers who can deliver real change on our land, and we need to support their efforts. I propose that this support should be designed around the principle of sustainable development, which is enshrined in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This is why we have adopted sustainable land management as our policy objective in our proposals.

My overall ambition is to have sustainable farms producing both economic and environmental goods in a holistic system that enhances the well-being of farmers, communities and all the people of Wales. Sustainable land management provides a robust framework for future support. It places the production of high-quality food alongside the role our farmers play in maintaining and enhancing our natural environment and rural communities. It reflects the importance of the sustainable management of natural resources and provides opportunities to tackle climate change and to maintain and enhance biodiversity. Adopting this objective is an important step to taking action to meet our obligations to present and future generations.

To facilitate achieving this policy objective, I am proposing a single sustainable farming scheme. A single scheme will allow us to support farmers in delivering both economic and environmental opportunities at the same time. It helps us find win-wins—things that are good for both food production and the environment. The scheme proposes to pay farmers for the environmental and other outcomes they deliver that are not valued by the market. These outcomes can be produced alongside the production of food through appropriate farming practice. For example, effective nutrient management and targeted application of fertiliser on farms reduces leakage of pollutants into our air and watercourses, which will improve air and water quality. We can pay for these environmental outcomes. Paying for environmental outcomes delivered through appropriate farming practice would ensure all types of farm have the potential to enter the scheme if they desire. This is vitally important because many farmers may rely on the new scheme to make a profit, just as they do with the current basic payment scheme.

These payments will provide a meaningful and stable annual income stream for farmers. However, an income stream alone is not enough. Therefore, the Welsh Government proposes to offer a range of business support, including building business capacity and skills, capital investment to enhance sustainability, and knowledge transfer. This package of support will sustain and secure the important social contribution farmers make to the prosperity of rural communities by keeping farmers on the land.

This is particularly relevant to responding to the challenge of climate change. On the 29 April, I declared a climate emergency in Wales. Climate change will impact on us all and Welsh farming is no different. Combating the consequences of climate change is crucial if we are going to be able to hand over our vibrant Welsh farming industry to future generations. Farmers, foresters and other land managers are uniquely placed to respond to the climate emergency. For example, Welsh soils store 410 million tonnes of carbon. We need to maintain this stock and work to build it up further. The proposals in the consultation are designed to reward farmers managing their land in this important way.

I'm looking forward to engaging with the public and stakeholders in the coming months, especially in the proposed co-design process. Co-design is an opportunity to explore the more practical aspects of the proposed scheme. We will have to make this scheme accessible and realistic for farmers to implement. Their views on these aspects will be crucial. The responses to both the consultation document and the co-design programme will be carefully considered. We will then determine and set out next steps once we've been able to fully consider all consultation responses and in the light of Brexit developments over the coming months.

We continue to call on the UK Government to provide further clarity on the level of agricultural funding that will be returned to Wales after Brexit. Welsh Ministers are clear that leaving the EU should not mean any reduction in the funding returning to Wales. Once funding is returned, we will ensure funds are directed at farming, forestry and other land management support, and not spent elsewhere.

Making new land management policy a practical reality as the UK leaves the common agricultural policy poses a challenge, but it is a challenge that is absolutely worth meeting. We are taking the consultation and design process slowly and carefully, and involving as many farmers and wider stakeholders as possible. This will ensure we have the best information and knowledge available to make our proposals for sustainable development in agriculture a reality.