Environmental horticulture: the growth policy solution
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) calls on government to harness UK’s environmental horticulture industry for growth
The HTA, representing the entire supply chain for the UK’s environmental horticulture and gardening industry, is calling on the government to make use of the sector to achieve policy growth ambitions. The environmental horticulture industry is vital to achieving Defra’s flagship ambitions in the Environmental Improvement Plan as well as supporting 670,000 jobs in the UK, generating £6.8bn in tax revenue. The HTA also oversees the National Garden Gift Card Scheme, widely used by the UK’s 30 million gardeners as they have embraced the benefits of cultivated green spaces for health and wellbeing.
There is great potential for significant growth in the environmental horticulture sector, leading to a stronger economy and more diversity in the plants and trees we can produce to mitigate climate change and its impacts, such as flooding and air pollution. Additionally, it is critical for greening urban areas, improving mental and physical health, and offering exciting opportunities for apprenticeships for a long-term rewarding career.
This potential can only be realised if key stakeholders recognise the value of environmental horticulture as both a policy solution and a vital UK sector. There is a huge opportunity in the encouraging recommendations of the House of Lords Horticulture Committee Inquiry to be more proportionate to SMEs with regulation and to act quickly to solve the concerns of border trade, allowing tree and plant growers to import vital plant products without existing uncertainties.
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The HTA has outlined several key requests:
Borders and trade – The HTA strongly encourages the government to ensure a comprehensive and pro-business ‘veterinary and plant health’ agreement with the EU.
Transition to peat-free growing media – Support for trials, machinery, and supply chains is needed to facilitate the industry’s full transition to peat-free growing media over a realistic time frame.
Reducing financial and regulatory burdens on SMEs – Suggestions include freezing the business rates multiplier and providing an exemption from Biodiversity Net Gain for protected horticulture to prevent expansion for growers.
Retail crime – HTA member garden centres lost £16m turnover to retail crime in 2021. 71 per cent reported theft as an issue, and 40 per cent reported abuse and threats to staff as an issue. Action is needed to address the increasing level and impacts of retail crime.
Skills – Attracting the next generation of professionals, supporting further education colleges, and ensuring that the new Growth and Skills Levy delivers for the sector is key to securing the current and future workforce.
Automation/mechanisation – Encouraging and incentivising technology vendors to develop and bring solutions to market and reviewing the financial and fiscal support for automation in horticulture, particularly looking at the current grant conditions to encourage investment.
Visit: https://hta.org.uk/manifesto
Email: policy@hta.org.uk
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