I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for giving me advance sight of both her statement and the Agriculture (Wales) Bill, especially as she's had a very busy afternoon in the Chamber.

It is no understatement to say that this 45-page document, accompanied by the 475-page memorandum, represents the largest and most significant overhaul in agricultural policy since the birth of this institution. Having left the European Union, this is the first opportunity to have a Welsh born, Welsh bred agriculture Bill, a dedicated piece of legislation that seeks to reflect the unique nature of the industry. The last three years have played witness to a whole host of geopolitical events, from a global pandemic to the illegal invasion of Ukraine. Consistent throughout each of these incidents was the disruption caused to global supply chains. We must look to take the necessary action to protect, promote and provide for Welsh farmers, the agricultural industry, our rural communities and our environment right across Wales. We need to offer the industry stability and growth and take the right decision to put food security and sustainability at the heart of this Government's agenda.

As you highlighted in your statement, Minister, a key component within this framework legislation is the development of sustainable land management. Now, I am pleased to note that the objectives of the sustainable land management framework have moved away from framing sustainability within the narrow confines of the environmental debate alone, and, in fact, I welcome a renewed focus on the value and production of food, as per objective 1 within the SLM framework. This objective had not existed in previous iterations of this document, so this is a positive step in the right direction, and I hope it reflects an open and co-operative attitude to how this document will progress over the next several months. These objectives also coincide well with the objectives of Peter Fox's food Bill.

Despite this, I am disappointed that the remaining three objectives fail to recognise the broader economic importance of Welsh farming, particularly of our family-run farms. Indeed, Minister, you and I have had several discussions about the importance of the broader economic, social and cultural importance of Welsh farming, as the economic contribution of the individual farmer goes far beyond the farm gate. So, when we talk about Welsh farming as an industry, what we have is a community that contributes roughly £6 billion to Wales's economy, an industry that employs 17 per cent of this nation's total workforce. Yet, despite this, your four SLM objectives at present fail to recognise the wider economic importance of the industry. Given this, I'd be grateful to learn if the Minister agrees with me that equal emphasis should be placed on the delivery of economic, environmental, social and cultural SLM outcomes. 

A holistic approach is key to the implementation of this agenda, but it does have to be sustained throughout the entire document. Unfortunately, for parts of this legislation, that isn't necessarily the case. As I've already detailed, the sustainable land management objectives state clearly their commitment to conserving and enhancing cultural resources, particularly in an attempt to sustain the Welsh language and promote and facilitate its use—fantastic—yet, in chapter 1 of this legislative document, there appears to be no reference to the Welsh language within the scope of your 11 key purposes, despite the reference to other key SLM objectives, such as food production, climate change and conservation of ecosystems. Given this, how do you intend to conserve and grow the Welsh language within the powers laid out in today's agriculture Bill? 

Let's make no mistake: this is an ambitious legislative framework, which seeks to support a post-EU agricultural industry that is fit for the twenty-first century. 'Protect, promote and provide' are the three key markers that I will use to measure the value and suitability of the Bill and what it delivers. In the words of the FUW, Minister, 'We're halfway there', and, as we scrutinise and amend this legislation in the coming months, I look forward to playing a positive role in contributing to its evolution to secure the best possible deal for Welsh farmers, the industry and our countryside. Diolch, Llywydd.