Royal orders to buy homegrown food and save the countryside

Heir to the throne Charles called on the public to harness their consumer power via an impassioned plea over “our living, breathing, working countryside”.

The Prince, who met Yorkshire farmers at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate this summer, is frequently outspoken on countryside affairs and in his latest dispatches wrote: “On a sufficient scale the purchasing decisions of individuals can and do change markets.

“Those of us who care enough about the grave situation facing our farmers and rural communities really can help by buying British food whenever we can. In doing so, we are also more likely to be getting fresh, high quality produce from a known and trusted source, offering good value for money.

“It seems to me that the key is to make it as easy as possible for people to know when they are buying British - and why that is a good choice.”

Charles, currently on an official tour of New Zealand and Australia, penned the message for this week’s Country Life magazine to mark his 67th birthday which falls on Saturday.

The Prince highlighted the pressure facing family-run farms, including falling commodity prices and rising input costs, and warned that some city-dwellers may be overlooking the crucial role farmers play in the UK.

“The rural economy is largely invisible to many people,” he said.

“So, it is perhaps worth spelling out, especially to those who - whether by choice or necessity - live largely urban lifestyles, that we rely on farmers to make a huge contribution to our nation’s food security, environment and prosperity. And in all three respects, we live in an increasingly uncertain world. That is why we need to do everything we can to keep our farmers farming.”

Charles returned to Yorkshire for a string of official engagements in September, taking the time to speak to dairy farmers in Hawes as part of his Dairy Initiative; a scheme to improve the resilience of the UK dairy farmers.

After highlighting the importance of small family-run farms in his birthday message, he questioned industrial scale farming.

“Is it really sensible to rely on very small numbers of huge, industrial-scale farms, dairies and abattoirs?” the Prince asked.

He signed off with a warning, writing: “This may be considered merely romantic but, to me, our living, breathing, working countryside is one of the great glories of this country. I think we should treasure it, including its people, while we still can.”

Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life, welcomed the Prince’s “romantic” stance, saying: “There’s nothing wrong with having a romantic view. It’s not going to be particularly romantic when it’s all gone.

“The message is that if things don’t change, it’s going to change out of all sight.”

Mr Hedges added: “The Prince has a powerful message where we can all make a difference. By buying British food, we will all be playing a vital part to safeguard the future of our precious countryside and everyone who works and lives in rural communities.”

He said the Prince works hard to connect with rural communities and support farmers facing “absolute turmoil”.

In 2010, Charles established his Countryside Fund, which has distributed more than £6 million in grants and emergency funding to struggling farmers in the last five years.