Farming’s role is vital for the countryside’s future

NFU’s conference held jointly with the RSPB in London today*, has concluded that farming has an important role to play in the future management of the British countryside.

The conference “Celebrations and Challenges: a new future for farming” heard from speakers from all aspects of conservation, land management and the political spectrum. A keynote speech was delivered by the new Defra Minister in the House of Lords, Lord Geoff Rooker, who was upbeat about farming’s role in broader society.

Speaking after the conference, NFU’s regional director for the East Midlands, Jack Ward, said: “Lord Rooker reinforced the importance of the relationship between farming and the wider environment, and said how important he felt farming is to solving some of the broader environmental problems society faces. This is certainly a much more positive way of thinking than the industry has been used to from previous farming ministers.

“Farming’s opportunities to benefit society are many and the conference heard from the Minister about how local food, public procurement of food and the production of new forms of fuel such as biomass and biofuel will contribute to society in future.

“What would our landscape look like if farmers didn’t manage it? Certainly not the way it does today.

“The conference has delivered a strong and positive message that farming’s role is inextricably linked to the future of local food, environment and energy,” added Mr Ward. “Without agriculture and horticulture, we would not live in such glorious countryside, eat such tasty, nutritious and high quality food and be able to embark on a new phase of energy production through biomass and biofuels.

“Also speaking at the conference was the Eden Project’s Tim Smit who’s statement: “Rubbish to those who say farming is a declining industry! Farming is an industry of opportunity,” struck a positive note and summed up how farming should be viewed.”

Jack Ward concluded: “There are challenges out there for our farmers, but there is much to be celebrated too,”