Farming's 'win-win' on business and biodiversity showcased at European conference

Biodiversity and profitable business go hand in hand and UK farms are shining examples of this, NFU Vice President Paul Temple will tell a major conference in Portugal next week.

Mr Temple will be speaking alongside a number of high profile EU and international environmental speakers at a business and biodiversity conference in Lisbon on Monday (November 12). The conference is being hosted by Portugal, which currently holds the presidency of the EU, as a follow up to the 'Lisbon agenda' agreement in 2000 at which EU heads of state and government agreed to make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010".

The NFU was invited to speak at the conference because farming plays a major biodiversity role alongside its stewardship of the countryside. Mr Temple will demonstrate how measures like the Voluntary Initiative and Environmental Stewardship have enabled UK farmers to enjoy a 'win-win' experience regarding their businesses and biodiversity and how other industries can learn from farming's example.

Speaking before the conference, Mr Temple said: "Initiatives like the VI have shown that farmers are willing and able to provide an attractive countryside that is home to a wide range of wildlife as well as producing some of the best food in the world.

"Farmers are proud of their role as guardians of the countryside and take great pride in providing a landscape that we can all be proud of. The support and success of the VI, coupled with the fact that nearly half the agricultural land in the UK is covered by Environmental Stewardship schemes, shows it is possible to produce the food and fuel the country needs while playing a major role in enhancing biodiversity and maintaining the countryside."