Farmers are changing the countryside for the better

The main change in the English countryside over the past 11 years has been the increasing stock of hedgerows and trees, according to a report published this week by the Countryside Agency.

‘Agricultural Landscapes: 33 years of change’ has monitored the effect of farming on the landscape at intervals of 11 years since 1973. Although it does not attempt to quantify landscape change, the report does conclude that: “it was quite apparent that the quality and size of most hedgerows had often improved significantly, as had many trees. Hedgerow removal had all but ceased, and there was significant hedge and tree planting”.

NFU Head of Policy Services Andrew Clark said: “This report explodes once and for all the myth that our countryside is continually changing for the worse as a result of intensive farming.

“It shows that, year by year, farmers are putting back more into the landscape than they are taking out, not only in the context of formal agri-environment schemes, but also in the course of their day to day farming activities.

“The joint survey we have carried out with the CPRE shows farmers are carrying out over £400 million of unpaid work each year in managing and maintaining the countryside.

“What the Countryside Agency report demonstrates is this work is now making a real difference.

However, it is not all good news. The report expresses concern about the potential impact on upland landscapes if livestock farming becomes unprofitable in the wake of CAP reform.