Funding for tree planting in Wales should not go to foreign businesses, Welsh politicians have said, as multinational firms are accused of 'greenwashing' their emissions through farmland purchases.
Senedd Conservatives have called for money from the Welsh government’s Glastir Woodland Creation scheme to only be accessible to businesses located in the country.
Glastir is the Welsh government's sustainable land management scheme, which offers financial support to farmers and landowners.
It follows reports of farmland in Wales being brought by multinational companies in order to offset their carbon emissions and extol their green credentials.
Multinational investment companies have been buying farms for afforestation projects - planting trees to offset carbon emissions.
The Welsh farming industry warned that this represents a threat to family farms across the country, as well as the Welsh culture and language.
The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said it had received reports from members on an 'almost weekly basis' of whole farms or parcels of land being bought up.
"Members felt strongly that the Welsh government and Senedd should take urgent action to tackle this issue through some form of control mechanism,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.
He highlighted that the sale of carbon in this way "risks undermining the ability of farms, Welsh agriculture or Wales as a whole to become carbon neutral."
Wales' Shadow Rural Affairs Minister, Samuel Kurtz said on Monday (29 November) that the Welsh government must ensure funds go only to Welsh businesses.
“As the son of a farmer, the last thing I want to see are family-run farms being sold-off to foreign multinational companies to improve their own public-image, whilst they continue to produce an enormous carbon footprint completely guilt-free," he said.
“The Welsh government should not be handing out hardworking tax-payers money to those not active in our society and economy wanting to off-set their environmental conscience, as much as their own carbon-footprint.
“By stopping Glastir payments to foreign companies, we’d ensure that money reaches the hands of the farmers and land managers here.
"That way, we can encourage them to use their own land to help tackle climate change."
