British farming is facing increasing pressure from land scarcity, political change, and rising production costs. As the country tries to find a balance between food security and environmental sustainability, farmers must navigate a maze of challenges that threaten both their livelihoods and the future of UK agriculture.
British farmers are as diverse as the landscapes they work on. Some have held and farmed land passed down through generations, either themselves or through tenants. Some have families to whom they want to pass on their heritage. Others who have bought land will look to profit through development of all sorts: construction, renewable-energy projects, or forestry, some of which ventures will be eligible for government grants.
Despite this diversity, farmers share common challenges: the pressures on the land remain as intense as ever. The question is how we can manage this in the best interests of the UK, including food production and environmental and ecological sustainability.
Maintaining UK food standards
The term ‘world leader’ has often been used inappropriately to describe the UK. But we are recognised globally for the standards British farmers apply to food production. And that is what our consumers want when it comes to animal health and safety and protecting the environment.
Some British farmers would be happy to experiment with genetically modified crops, provided this is within appropriate regulations. While natural genetic modification already exists, the issue for UK farmers is to keep the playing field as level as possible. Unfair deals, particularly when it comes to the importing of products produced under lower environmental and animal welfare standards, such as those with Australia and New Zealand, risk undermining domestic agriculture – and looming negotiations with the US suggest that a new battle over the maintenance of standards is imminent.
The impact of policy shifts
The transition from the Common Agricultural Policy, whereby farmers received grants according to the size of land they managed, to Defra’s more environmentally focused policies, has not been straightforward.
Before Brexit, UK farmers relied on the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which provided direct subsidies based on land size. Since leaving the EU, the UK government has shifted to a more environmentally focused approach, which ties funding to land management practices that promote biodiversity and carbon sequestration.
We need the environmental and ecological management of the land that is supported by so many organisations such as the RSPB and the National Trust, which adopted three members’ resolutions on environmental issues at its AGM on 2 November.
There are organisations that advocate for wilding, calling for a full return to natural control of the environment, including the reintroduction of animals such as the beaver – all of which could have very positive effects on our living conditions. The film Wilding tells a story of a farming couple in West Sussex who went against normal farming policy. At the Hay Festival this year, I heard people arguing whether the natural habitat in the UK had been destroyed. But the message was that food production and environmental protection could be managed jointly. Perhaps all it takes is government policy?
Spare a thought for the farmers, who are confronted by more imponderables than just the weather. Without clear guidance about government policy on grants, they struggle to know how to invest and plan for the future. A farmer cousin asked me a long time ago: “Is it pigs? Is it apples (his business)?” Farmers want to know where government will put its money to support farming.
The escalating cost of farming
This may sound like a very dependent policy, but bear in mind that the financial burden of farming is huge, from the outlay on machinery to the price of fertilisers, which has surged over the past year. The cost of producing food has to be borne somewhere, so this means either absorbing the higher costs or passing them on to consumers, potentially making food more expensive and less affordable for families. Abolishing fertiliser would save on costs and would also be much better for the soil. But how do we get there?
As reported by the National Farmers Union, UK farmers’ have seen their costs rise by an average of 15% in the past year alone, and even more in some sectors. Added to this, unpredictable weather and changing political conditions make it hard for farmers to plan for the future.
Inheritance tax on farming land has upset a great number of farmers. The Labour government needs to spend much more time talking to the National Farmers Union and to individual farmers. It needs to persuade farmers to explore the legal options open to them to circumvent the payment of inheritance tax – even if that reduces the tax revenue available – and to target the wealthier farmers instead. The government needs to restore trust by being seen to be defending the interests of both the family farmers and of the consumers, who want a fair price for good food.
It also means the government should tackle the business interests of the big buyers – such as Avara buying chicken meat in Herefordshire – which have an impact on environmental pollution and also influence supermarket prices. Addressing such imbalances is important to ensure fair treatment for farmers and consumers alike.
A sustainable future for farming: the path forward
After the Kington Show on 13 September – or to give it its full title, the Kington Horse Show and Agricultural Society, as the secretary appreciatively acknowledged – an elderly farming couple told me that many young farmers want to get out and see the world before they settle into a lifetime of farming. This highlights the need to make farming an attractive, sustainable career for them to return to.
British farming stands at a crossroads. With government support, farmers can continue to produce high-quality food while helping to clean up the environment. But achieving this balance needs clearer policy, fair trade agreements, and recognition of the vital role that farmers play in the UK’s future.
We want to hear your views. Please send any comments to editor@westenglandbylines.co.uk
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER
HELP US BECOME STRONGER SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER POWERFUL CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
