6. What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact that investors purchasing agricultural land to plant trees for use as carbon credits has on family farms? OQ57184

Diolch. We are aware of a small number of woodland-creation projects on land purchased by investors. These projects have not been planted, so it is not yet possible to assess their impact. However, we recognise the concerns and want farmers to play a central role in our woodland creation. 

A small number of cases, we hear from the Minister, but we are hearing increasing concerns about this. We heard about that earlier on today. Local families and farmers have no hope of competing. We’ve seen in the past what happens when land is lost, socially, economically, culturally and linguistically. We think about Epynt and Tryweryn and the huge forestry plans of the last century.

The Farmers Union of Wales say that they’ve received reports of this happening in every county in Wales, on an area of land equivalent to possibly 20 family farms. In response to an earlier question, the Minister said that she also shares the concerns, as we heard just now, and that she had invited farming unions to provide her with additional evidence. 'Much of what we hear is anecdotal', she said. She asked another Member to provide more evidence that Welsh Government grants are being paid to speculators. I'm sorry, but it’s the job of Government to do this work of gathering data and gathering evidence. It's the Minister’s job to find that evidence and get to the bottom of this issue. So, will she commit to trying to understand exactly is happening, so that we have robust data as a matter of urgency? Rather than saying that she is concerned about the thing, will she push for changes to the planning system to safeguard against the impact of these tree planting schemes, and consider urgently changing the eligibility criteria for schemes such as Glastir Woodland Creation, so that it’s only those who farm in Wales who can make bids and not speculators who are trying to derive maximum benefit from the situation?

So, you appear to be quite critical of my earlier answer around my meetings with the farming unions last week. It was them that told me that it was anecdotal, and they offered to bring forward the further evidence. You say that there is an increasing number of concerns, and I agree with you—there is certainly a perception out there. Now, whether it is just a perception doesn't matter, because perception is everything in politics.

We need to know the facts around this, and we do have some idea of, obviously, the numbers. However, the issues that were brought to me, particularly by one of the farming unions, I wasn't aware of, so I have asked for evidence. I don't think that that's unusual, for instance. What we do know is that the majority of our Glastir Woodland Creation scheme beneficiaries are our farmers. So, in developing any future schemes, I want to review how to make sure that these work well for our farmers in the way that I just referred to in a previous answer.