Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023

The objectives

1 The sustainable land management objectives

(1) The sustainable land management objectives are as follows.

(2) The first objective is to produce food and other goods in a sustainable manner, and in doing so—

(a) to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and

(b) to contribute to achieving the well-being goals in section 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw 2).

(3) The second objective is to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and in doing so—

(a) to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and

(b) to contribute to achieving the well-being goals in section 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

(4) The third objective is to maintain and enhance the resilience of ecosystems and the benefits they provide, and in doing so—

(a) to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and

(b) to contribute to achieving the well-being goals in section 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

(5) The fourth objective is to conserve and enhance the countryside and cultural resources and promote public access to and engagement with them, and to sustain the Welsh language and promote and facilitate its use, and in doing so—

(a) to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and

(b) to contribute to achieving the well-being goals in section 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

(6) For the purposes of the first objective, factors relevant to whether food and other goods are produced in a sustainable manner include, among other things, the resilience of agricultural businesses within the communities in which they operate and their contribution to the local economy.

(7) For the purposes of the third objective, factors relevant to the resilience of ecosystems include, among other things—

(a) diversity between and within ecosystems;

(b) the connections between and within ecosystems;

(c) the scale of ecosystems;

(d) the condition of ecosystems (including their structure and functioning);

(e) the adaptability of ecosystems.

(8) For the purposes of the fourth objective, “cultural resources” include, among other things, cultural heritage and the historic environment.