An Ecosystems Approach

Defra outlines it new approach to policy

1/2/2008

The ecosystem approach being embraced by Defra ("Securing a healthy natural environment: An action plan for embedding an ecosystem approach") should be good news for a research charity like ours which employs ecologists in most the major habitats looking not just at game, but much of the associated fauna and flora too.

While discussion of ecosystems is great and the vision of a holistic approach to policy-making is welcome, the rest of the document is, frankly, a struggle. You would think it might make sense to an ecologist, but it is so replete with policy jargon it is difficult to know what it is driving at most of the time. If you were to ask; "What does this mean for farmers?" The answer would have to be "Don't know."

The new doctrine seems mostly to be a plea for different departments in government, and for the agencies within the "Defra family" as they now like to refer to themselves,  to act in a more co-ordinated way. This is good, obviously. But, isn't this what Tony Blair used to call joined-up government? So is this really an admission that joined-up didn't work in environment policy?

 While the paper refers to biodiversity fairly frequently one is left with the uncomfortable feeling that the government is preparing the ground for shortcomings which may become apparent in 2010 when most of it Biodiversity Action Plan targets are due. Perhaps it is aiming to tell us that the BAP process was too narrow focussed and it has moved on to this ecosystems approach which is much more integrated and holistic.