OFC17: George Monbiot says he would like to 'farm' water

George Monbiot explained that he would like to farm water
George Monbiot explained that he would like to farm water

Environmental activist George Monbiot and National Trust Director Dame Helen Ghost took part in a debate at the Oxford Farming Conference, explaining they would like to 'farm water' and 'beauty' if they had the chance to run their own farming business.

Both panellists took part in a debate about what the UK's agricultural post-Brexit landscape looks like.

An audience member asked the panel 'what and where they would farm', and 'how they would turn a profit.'

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Mr Monbiot explained: “I would farm water and devote my efforts to receiving public money for keeping water on my land to ensure communities downstream were protected from flooding while maintain rich habitats.”

Mr Monbiot said he would farm water if the public goods system he proposed were in place and if it was through farming in the infertile uplands.

Dame Helen followed with her answer, saying she would farm ‘beauty’ and encourage tourists to visit her farm to appreciate the wildlife and environment on offer.

The panel took the question under the umbrella topic 'After CAP, What? To survive and thrive what policies does GB agriculture need?' Tthe panel featured George Monbiot, Journalist and Environmental Activist, Dame Helen Ghosh, Director-General of the National Trust, Guy Poskitt, Farmer, M H Poskitt Ltd and Minette Batters, NFU Deputy.