Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023

Section 51 – Meaning of “agriculture” and related references

267. The meaning of “agriculture” is central to certain provisions of the Act, particularly the SLM duty (section 2) and the power of support (section 8). Section 51 defines “agriculture” for the purposes of the Act. The definition is wide in scope. This is intended to reflect the broad range of farming activities currently undertaken in Wales, and to capture activities that are commonly considered to be traditional farming activities, e.g. the growing of crops for food, as well as more modern farming activities, e.g. controlled environment agriculture which captures more recent developments such as vertical farming.

268. “Livestock” forms a component part of the definition of “agriculture”, and for clarity, subsection (2) provides a definition of what is meant by this term. Similarly, the definition of “agriculture” includes a reference to “controlled environment agriculture”, which is a relatively new, evolving practice. Subsection (2) provides a definition of this term.

269. Subsection (3) clarifies that certain terms are to be construed in accordance with the definition of “agriculture”, including “agricultural businesses”.