This study commissioned by Anglian Water, South West Water and Wessex Water, was carried out by Indepen, a management consultancy working in the infrastructure sectors, Eunomia, and WWF-UK.
The purpose of the project has been to consider post-Brexit agriculture and trade policy options and test their potential effects on water company operations. Water companies face two types of impact from post-Brexit agriculture policy that might create operational, financial and reputational risks and opportunities:
- Changes in land management practices, arising from farmer responses to the new policy and markets, could increase or decrease pressures on the condition of rivers, reservoirs, groundwater and the quality of bathing waters;
- As farmers evaluate new market conditions, their appetite to engage with water companies could change – again in either direction – including their interest in taking part in catchment management schemes.
This study explores the drivers of farm business behaviour and identifies potential effects on water company catchment programs and the health of natural capital in catchments. The interim report published in January 2018 is available here.
