NFU: Farmings win-win on business and biodiversity

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.