Farming Print E-mail
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Farming and land management are central to the character, environment and well-being of Britain. British farmers and producers not only produce food to some of the highest standards in the world but they also play a vital role, as they have done over many centuries, in shaping and maintaining the very landscape and communities for which Britain is so famous. 

Britain’s unique landscapes of moor, down and fell – all of which would soon return to scrub without farming – not only provide numerous opportunities for outdoor activities but also underpin domestic and overseas tourism. The day-to-day management of these landscapes is undertaken by farmers and land managers who see themselves as stewards of the land they manage and invest both their time and money accordingly.

To look at the countryside as nothing more than a picture postcard backdrop to food production and tourism – as key as these industries are to Britain both rural and urban – is however to miss the point. Innovation exists at all levels and in all sectors of the rural economy and there is within British farming significant, yet untapped, potential for new and dynamic industries.

“ As well as being the guardians of the British countryside, farmers and land managers have a huge role to play in helping Britain meet the key challenges of this century”
As well as being the guardians of the British countryside, farmers and land managers have a huge role to play in helping Britain meet the key challenges of this century. Ensuring that Britain has the right mix of food and energy to meet the dual challenges of global instability and climate change is not something that can be achieved in Whitehall alone and is something farmers will, as they have done before, relish and take pride in helping to accomplish.

If, however, British farmers are to continue to make their valuable contribution to Britain’s rural communities, and the nation as a whole, it is vital that the industry receives the recognition that it deserves, as this will enable it to unlock its potential for the benefit of all.

Farmers have a huge role to play in Britain's future

Key Facts

• Farming contributed £5.6 billion to the UK economy in 2007. The UK food chain, of which farming is a key component, employed 3.6 million people in 2008; 14 per cent of all employees in Great Britain.

• In 2007, the UK was 61 per cent self-sufficient in all food; a decline of 15 per cent since 1995.

• In England alone, it is estimated that farmers undertake £412 million of unpaid landscape management work each year.

• It is estimated that 61 per cent of all pork and pork products eaten in the UK in 2005 was imported, with 70 per cent of those imports likely to have been illegal to produce in the UK on the grounds of pig welfare.

The Way Forward

Policies, at both a UK and an EU level, should acknowledge the many overlapping functions of farming and not promote one element at the expense of another. Any policies, should as far as is possible, be future-proofed so that farmers have the stability they need to make long-term decisions and investments in terms of both time and money.

We Call For...

• Investment in agricultural research and education is key to ensuring that British agriculture remains at the forefront of an international and ever-changing industry and is able to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.

• The potential of farming and its by-products as a significant and often existing source of renewable energy to be not only harnessed as a way of mitigating climate change but also of increasing our energy mix and therefore our energy security.

• The procurement of British produce must be a priority for all public bodies.

• The adoption of a mandatory country of origin labeling framework to ensure that British consumers are able to make an informed choice and have confidence in the products they buy would represent an important step in providing British farmers and producers with the support they deserve.

Sign the manifesto here
 

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