I recently had an opportunity to talk to a farmer of my acquaintance about her feelings for the future of farming in light of the UK government’s current overhaul.
She expressed concerns but also felt that changes were needed. Later that day she forwarded me an email that she had recently received from the Pathways project that provided lots of links to a recent food seminar that had recently taken place. The farmer added the following covering note:
‘I thought I’d share this newsletter, lots of organisations out there doing good and they use the phrase ‘farming evolution’ and that’s very much how I’d describe it. Just another part of the continual evolution of everything whether it be for good or bad… I can only influence/control/react how I can with the resources I have at that time…’
In response, I organised my own thoughts about the governments intentions for farming that gave a less optimistic perspective.
This was my response:
Hi Xxxxx,
Yes, a good talk. It was good to see that you, a farmer, are not overly pessimistic about the changes on the horizon.
Here are my thoughts on what is going on. This is the first time I have shared my thoughts on farming and the first person to read them will be an actual farmer so I am aware I am almost certainly teaching my grandmother to suck eggs! I expect to receive a lot of corrections but here goes:
My concern is that changes are being forced on the system of farming that will put many farmers out of business and lead to much less food production in Britain.
Farming is a complex system that has evolved to where it is now over hundreds of years. Now the government has decided to design a new farming system. That’s a red flag for a start – whenever the government thinks it can take a complex system and re-design it, it never works out well. And if the govt were merely trying to optimise the existing system for the benefit of farmers, that would still be something that the govt would likely mess up with bureaucracy and inflexibility.
However, the govt is not tweaking the existing system for the benefit of farmers. Instead the govt is attempting something much more ambitious than that: they are attempting to implement a brand new system based on a new ideology – controlling the Earth’s climate – for the benefit of society at large.
In this new system, food production is not placed first and foremost, political ideology is.
Trying to optimise farming around a new model with different financial incentives whilst adhering to low carbon ideology is a root and branch overhaul of a complex system. There are too many moving parts and the govt is guaranteed to mess it up on an epic scale. And farmers will almost certainly come off worse because none of this is being done for their benefit, nor is it being done in consultation with farmers. As far as I can tell, it’s all being worked out by technocrats.
Take your email from the Pathways Project, for example: not a farmer in sight, that I could see. My take is that these are technocrats wanting to put their theories into practise. What could possibly go wrong?! Were any farmers in attendance at the Action Task Force seminar? Did any farmers present? The whole redesign does not appear to be collaborative, it seems like a top-down implementation. So I can understand why farmers are suspicious of what is going on.
I notice the repeated references to the importance of ‘sustainability’ in the email. I don’t see any references to the importance of producing enough food! Not a good sign. In my experience, ‘sustainability’ is a codeword for ‘restrictions’.
Once it is messed up and farmers are forced out of business, those farmers will be lost forever. I think this has the possibility of being a catastrophic blow for farming whose impact will be felt for years to come. And the rest of society will not reap any benefits anyway (unless you think that the UK govt can control the planet’s weather. That’s a whole contentious subject right there). Instead, the odds are that food will be more expensive and many farmers will have been pushed out of the business.
A cynic could suggest that this is part of a deliberate plan to force small farmers out of business in place of more corporate farming. As in other sectors of the economy, more regulation will be introduced which big firms can absorb more easily than small firms.
There’s also a suspicion that the govt is using this opportunity to incentivise us to change our eating habits. For example, eating less meat (about which there are endless articles in the mainstream media). So, again, we have additional indications that the new system is not about food production, it’s about ideology.
I hope I’m wrong but the portents are not good.
I would value your feedback. Am I totally off-track? I have no inside knowledge, all of the above is based on articles I have read together with extrapolating the direction of travel. Some of it is educated guesswork but the message is that we need to be vigilent to ensure that our food security isn’t jeopardised.
I value what you and Xxxxxxx are doing. Long may you continue!
Regards,
Atticus Fox
Sent from Outlook for Android
From: Wild and Rooted Humphreysfarm <hello@wildandrootedfarming.co.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 11:43:50 AM
To: Steven Chambers <stevenxchambers@hotmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: Sustainable Food Systems in Action | Spring 2024
Good to chat this morning. It’s certainly a minefield out there, I try and bring it back to simplicity whenever I can and delve more when I have the headspace/energy/interest. Currently, I think I need a break from it!!
I thought I’d share this newsletter, lots of organisations out there doing good and they use the phrase ‘farming evolution’ and that’s very much how I’d describe it. Just another part of the continual evolution of everything whether it be for good or bad… I can only influence/control/react how I can with the resources I have at that time.
Enjoy the sun today, see you soon.
Xxxxx
This is email that the farmer had forwarded to me. I have not included working links but I am sure you could find them online using the information included:
Begin forwarded message:
Agriculture Policy in a Changing World | Spring 2024
On March 7, the For Sustainable Food Forum convened with over 70 in attendance, serving as a pivotal platform for discussing sustainable practices within the European livestock sector.
The forum aimed to tackle environmental impacts while addressing the growing societal demand for safe, nutritious, and affordable meat and dairy products.
Recognising the urgency for change in both the industry and broader society, PATHWAYS presented innovative strategies throughout the day to pave the way for a sustainable future in European agriculture. Participants highlighted comprehensive recommendations such as Performance-Based Payments (PBP) within the Collective Agricultural Policy (CAP), an emission reduction mechanism, and the diversification of protein sources to align with climate goals and nutritional needs.
The event was a resounding success thanks to all attendees, both in-person and online!
For further details and highlights, visit our website, and check out the photo album here.
Project Updates
Towards Climate Smart Livestock Systems
In recognising the multifaceted role of livestock systems in Africa, efforts must prioritise livelihoods, adopt a systems approach, and address climate change impacts, while considering disparities in distribution and proposing sustainable solution for both industrial and agrarian food systems. Read more here.
Sustainable livestock systems: What does this mean?
Sustainability within the European livestock sector presents a multifaceted challenge, requiring tailored solutions, innovative practices at the farm level, and meaningful engagement of young farmers to steer the course of agricultural evolution. Read more here.
Trade-Offs for the Future of Livestock Husbandry
In view of making livestock husbandry more sustainable, Catherine Pfeifer explains the need of evaluating trade-offs between efficiency, environmental footprint, and animal welfare. Watch here.
A Holistic Approach for Sustainable Food Systems
Pietro Goglio from the University of Perugia, Italy, explores the holistic approach employed in the PATWAYS project, the importance of agronomy in addressing livestock-crop interactions and how PATHWAYS is employing principles of circularity for enhanced sustainability in livestock systems. Watch here.
Policy Recommendations
Following the event’s thorough discussions, this policy brief summarises the main points reached during the forum storyline sessions regarding the real PATHWAYS – the possible futures for agriculture in Europe. Read more here via LinkedIn.
Upcoming Events
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April 9 – 12
Leuven, Belgium
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May 28 – 31
Curitiba, Brazil
The 75th EAAP Annual Meeting
September 1 – 5
Florence, Italy
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September 8 – 12
Barcelona, Spain
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The farmer responded as follows:
You’re certainly informed, it’s great that you are so aware to it all.
You’re right the mainstream media has an awful lot to answer for, and not just when it comes to food, it’s so hard to avoid all the additional influence we are subject to. The food system is incredibly delicate and complex, the more I understand of it the more I can see how it’s got to where it has.
Farmers may not be the ones setting new policies but they are called upon to consult and I do feel it’s collaborative but maybe not equally favourable to all those involved. However, your concerns are very real and farmers are most certainly not the priority of governments but I don’t think they can be with so many factors involved in the food system.
I think you’re right, ’sustainability’ does mean ‘restrictions’ but I see that as a positive thing. For example, food seasonality and understanding that strawberries shouldn’t be on the shelves the entire year. Only having them available when they’re in season would be a ‘restriction’ but ultimately more ’sustainable’. That’s a very top level example but that’s how I see it being driven, producers have to deliver what customers want but also on their own terms based upon their values and what they believe, as producers, to be sustainable. That for me personally is less about conforming to the ideology of changing the earth’s climate but more about us, as humans, generally consuming less.
I think policies are always generalised and quite overwhelming because of that. They will always be open to interpretation and managed as per each farm sees fit. As for farms being lost, yes there is that danger and it is a real possibility but, this isn’t a new thing. Smaller farms who haven’t adapted have had to sell up but often to larger farming businesses, all still independent, farms that have been in families for generations are given new leases of life with fresh sets of eyes.
It’s bloody complicated and there is only so much I/we can do, ultimately it’s up to farmers and consumers to educate themselves. It’s certainly a time full of change for the agricultural industry, I just hope farmers aren’t burying their heads in the sand and can adapt with the changes to come. Only time will tell .
Atticus Fox 