The Rock Review: working together for a thriving agricultural tenanted sector was published yesterday by DEFRA. This is a detailed report prepared by a specially convened working group looking at the longer-term change to ensure a robust tenanted sector in agriculture in the future. It can be read at The Rock Review: summary and recommendations - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
There is a lot in the report, and if the 74 separate recommendations were to all be adopted we can expect significant change. The report is well worth reading, and over the next couple of weeks we will produce some pieces picking up particular parts of it that will be of real interest:
- Tenancy agreements and the landlord-tenant relationship
- Net Zero and Natural Capital
- Tax
- Government schemes and legislative reform.
Our challenge, and the one that we now pass to Defra, has been to navigate the balance of rights and obligations from both the tenant and landlord. Rights are not inherent, they are formed through decades of experience, cultural views, institutions, and legislation. They change over time to suit the needs of the present and future.