Campaign group sets out wish list for farming

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said it wants to see most pigs and poultry reared outdoors in free-range conditions and for farmers in upland areas such as the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors to have capitalised on the work they do to maintain such stunning landscapes.

It also said that it wanted to see upland farmers rewarded for their work in managing water flows to lowlands, both in times of drought and flood, alongside the storing of greenhouse gases and peat soils. All of these areas could provide a vital lifeline to hard-pressed farmers in these areas who often have to get by on incomes significantly lower than £10,000 per year.

The CPRE said it wants the UK to be growing around 50 per cent of the orchard fruit bought in stores.

The CPRE’s Vision for the Future of Farming document, published today, includes research to show more than four out of five people believe farmers have a responsibility to look after the landscape and wildlife for future generations and that less than 20 per cent of people would accept a more industrialised farming sector.

The document contains a list of areas it would like to see change in over the coming years. They are:

Farmers who adopt new environmental standards to benefit from a price premium recognising the additional environmental measures they are taking, for example creating wildlife habitats;

Fairer milk prices to help to reverse the decline in traditional, pasture-based dairy farms, and make them more profitable;

A massive increase in the number of community-based horticultural enterprises supplying local vegetables, salad and fruit, strengthening local food webs;

Polytunnels for growing fruit and vegetables to become much less contentious after being brought into a planning system which controls their impact;

Farmers in upland areas to be rewarded for their environmental and cultural services, for example managing water and creating beautiful landscapes;

Most pigs and poultry to be free range and reared outdoors;

Nearly all farms in England to be producing renewable energy through schemes such as anaerobic digestion plants which generate energy from farm waste.

Ian Woodhurst, senior farming campaigner for CPRE, said: “There are huge challenges, including growing populations, increasing demand for land and natural resources, and pressures due to climate change. But we must find ways to cope with these challenges if we are to secure a living, thriving rural landscape.

“We need to be ambitious if we are to ensure we have both a vibrant farming sector and a beautiful countryside alive with wildlife. The Government, farmers, the food industry and environmental organisations will need to work together over the coming years to ensure that the public’s aspirations are realised.”

The campaign’s research also showed an overwhelming 78 per cent of people want farmers to get more support to carry out environmentally sustainable practices.

Such findings provide food for thought, given recent demands to increase food production and productivity to cope with increasing populations, alongside the need to use less water and cause less damage to the environment.