I have recently read a thought provoking booklet entitled “Farming’s Value to Society” which was published with the support of Bristol based solicitors, Burges Salmon, the RSPB and Volac, a dairy nutrition and supply company. The report was produced to provide information for this year’s Oxford Farming Conference which took place in early January and was themed “Confident Farmers Delivering for Society”.
The booklet covers a reasonably complex subject although what was clear to me was that farmers and “society” are probably better placed now than at any time in the last 50 years to work together positively to achieve benefits for all.
To understand how the relationship between farmers and society has developed in recent times one probably has to look back to the end of the Second World War when large parts of Europe were literally starving. At that stage society was acutely aware of the importance of farming and the need to produce as much food as possible. Farmers responded to the financial incentives put in place by politicians and massively increased food production but at a cost.
As a result, by the 1970s and 1980s, society began to question whether the benefits of increased food production were worth the cost of disappearing hedgerows, falling bird populations, increasing pollution and animal welfare issues. Many also began to question the need for subsidies being paid to farmers via the Common Agricultural Policy which reached the ultimate in madness when farmers were paid to take land out of production in order to reduce overproduction.
However, in the last decade or so, the growing concern about climate change and population growth has brought the importance of food production back in to focus. Also, politicians, particularly in this country, have realised that if society is to continue supporting farmers financially, then they need to see a return that goes beyond just producing more food. As a consequence there has been and will continue to be an increasing shift in the emphasis of subsidy away from food production towards the delivery of environmental benefits.
Thus after a period of outright hostility in parts of society towards farming I believe we are witnessing a shift in thinking; society, although largely disconnected from the day to day activity of farming, now realises the importance of farming both for the food produced and the landscape we live in. Many conservation organisations realise that to preserve our wildlife, those working the land also need to be able to make a profit, but equally farmers need to realise they cannot ignore society’s concerns about some of the less palatable results of agricultural intensification.
What is clear to me is that now, more than any time in the last 40 years, there is an opportunity for farmers to re-connect with the wider general public. This may be done through a variety of means such as the provision of local provenance food through farm shops, hosting farm open days for the public, welcoming schools for educational visits, providing demonstrations at shows or embracing agri-environmental schemes. But what is important is that that these connections are made and strengthened because this will be to the benefit of farmers and the society in the long term.
James Stephen MRICS FAAV
Partner
Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor, Wells
T: 01749 683381
E: james.stephen@carterjonas.co.uk
The booklet covers a reasonably complex subject although what was clear to me was that farmers and “society” are probably better placed now than at any time in the last 50 years to work together positively to achieve benefits for all.
To understand how the relationship between farmers and society has developed in recent times one probably has to look back to the end of the Second World War when large parts of Europe were literally starving. At that stage society was acutely aware of the importance of farming and the need to produce as much food as possible. Farmers responded to the financial incentives put in place by politicians and massively increased food production but at a cost.
As a result, by the 1970s and 1980s, society began to question whether the benefits of increased food production were worth the cost of disappearing hedgerows, falling bird populations, increasing pollution and animal welfare issues. Many also began to question the need for subsidies being paid to farmers via the Common Agricultural Policy which reached the ultimate in madness when farmers were paid to take land out of production in order to reduce overproduction.
However, in the last decade or so, the growing concern about climate change and population growth has brought the importance of food production back in to focus. Also, politicians, particularly in this country, have realised that if society is to continue supporting farmers financially, then they need to see a return that goes beyond just producing more food. As a consequence there has been and will continue to be an increasing shift in the emphasis of subsidy away from food production towards the delivery of environmental benefits.
Thus after a period of outright hostility in parts of society towards farming I believe we are witnessing a shift in thinking; society, although largely disconnected from the day to day activity of farming, now realises the importance of farming both for the food produced and the landscape we live in. Many conservation organisations realise that to preserve our wildlife, those working the land also need to be able to make a profit, but equally farmers need to realise they cannot ignore society’s concerns about some of the less palatable results of agricultural intensification.
What is clear to me is that now, more than any time in the last 40 years, there is an opportunity for farmers to re-connect with the wider general public. This may be done through a variety of means such as the provision of local provenance food through farm shops, hosting farm open days for the public, welcoming schools for educational visits, providing demonstrations at shows or embracing agri-environmental schemes. But what is important is that that these connections are made and strengthened because this will be to the benefit of farmers and the society in the long term.
James Stephen MRICS FAAV
Partner
Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor, Wells
T: 01749 683381
E: james.stephen@carterjonas.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment