A much criticised
European Union scheme to reduce
overproduction from
farms.
Farmers are paid to take their land out of production.
At one time, a
legal loophole allowed farmers to grow
crops on
set aside land, so long as they didn't harvest anything while it was receiving
set aside payments. Some
farmers grew
broccoli or
cauliflower on
set aside land, as these are harvested the year after they are sown.
Many
farmers nowadays leave the margins of their fields uncultivated, as their set aside land. This protects
hedgerows and provides a habitat for
beetles and other beneficial
insects.