Implementing Sustainable Development for the Countryside: A Case Study of Agri-envronment Reform in Wales.

The paper examines the potential implications of the Welsh Assembly Government's decision to restructure the funding of agri-environment schemes in Wales with the proposed introduction, from 1 January 2012, of the new All Wales Glastir Sustainable Land Management Scheme. The research on which this paper is based was initiated in January 2010. It involved a selection of farmers from one Welsh county, Montgomeryshire, being engaged, aimed at establishing how the change to Glastir will impact upon their farming businesses and practices and, ultimately, the achievement of a sustainable agricultural industry. Montgomeryshire, which is set in the heart of Wales, is typified by the traditional family farm, being an important structure for achieving sustainable agriculture. The research concludes with a stark warning that Glastir may not be 'fit for purpose' and that the Welsh Assembly Government should reconsider its decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]