Subs in europe are changing fast too, and not for pro human food productionCould you make sure all the subsidies are scrapped in Europe while you are at it so we can compete on a level playing field with them aswell?
Subs in europe are changing fast too, and not for pro human food productionCould you make sure all the subsidies are scrapped in Europe while you are at it so we can compete on a level playing field with them aswell?
What boils my p€€ most is all the talk that uk is some sort of biodiversity desert...I am a little tired these days as lambing here.
I just don't agree with SFI. I as farmer would like to produce food for a fair price for the the nation to consume not to grow wild bird seed. And I would of liked to of seen subsidises scraped altogether, at least then it would of sorted out the boys from the men
Biodiversity HAS been lost.What boils my p€€ most is all the talk that uk is some sort of biodiversity desert...
Everywhere I drive I see green. Hedges, grass, trees and nature.
Tourists flood to the hills and moors for the views.
Yet defra and the nature groups want to change it all.
Why? ££££££
Talk it down and get grants and funding to increase it.
But hay meadows are not natural...Biodiversity HAS been lost.
95%+ decline in hay meadows for example.
Intensive farming HAS driven much of that loss.
That intensive farming was driven by political policy and rampant population increase though.
Don't simply blame the engineers for what the designers and accountants demanded.
If they want the diversity of 1800s farming back then they must explain where their food is coming from and pay for it.
There are BIG discussions to be had in society about all this. Sadly, we get knee-jerk short term political grandstanding instead.
The government 25 year environment plan is a good start IMHO. The trouble is, it's being ignored in everyday policy but they still expect it to happen.
If you want farming to deliver big environment gains as well as food security we're going to have to be paid much more for what we do but no politician or campaigner is willing to accept that. They want cheap food without the impacts of cheap food.
There IS thriving nature on British farms . It's no longer in big blocks or we'll inter-connected like it once was though.
So true, too many have no idea how nature interacts and how most of what they call nature is actually the result of man's control of it , the most worrying part is that many of those in government and the so called environmental experts are totally ignorant of how nature works.But hay meadows are not natural...
Same as hedges not.
Gov and public have no idea what they want really. They want to rewild, but keep certain man made in natural stuff.
Also they only report stuff like birds in decline, never the ones increasing as they not bounce of ££.
There is NEVER again going to be interconnected nature as the population is to great now along with to many pets and un natural increase in predators.
Uk nature has to be managed to keep I roughly balanced, but public don't like management as it involves culling.
Prime example is red squirrel. public sad they dying out, but wont agree to cull greys.
If we want return Britain to it's "natural" state we'd all have to leave. Biodiversity is one thing but we all have to eat. Importing more food just exports environmental damage abroad. There is no such thing as natural farming.Biodiversity HAS been lost.
95%+ decline in hay meadows for example.
Intensive farming HAS driven much of that loss.
That intensive farming was driven by political policy and rampant population increase though.
Don't simply blame the engineers for what the designers and accountants demanded.
If they want the diversity of 1800s farming back then they must explain where their food is coming from and pay for it.
There are BIG discussions to be had in society about all this. Sadly, we get knee-jerk short term political grandstanding instead.
The government 25 year environment plan is a good start IMHO. The trouble is, it's being ignored in everyday policy but they still expect it to happen.
If you want farming to deliver big environment gains as well as food security we're going to have to be paid much more for what we do but no politician or campaigner is willing to accept that. They want cheap food without the impacts of cheap food.
There IS thriving nature on British farms . It's no longer in big blocks or we'll inter-connected like it once was though.
These nature groups wouldnt have a job if they diddnt claim the uks biodiversity is crap. It suits their narrative to spout this rubbishWhat boils my p€€ most is all the talk that uk is some sort of biodiversity desert...
Everywhere I drive I see green. Hedges, grass, trees and nature.
Tourists flood to the hills and moors for the views.
Yet defra and the nature groups want to change it all.
Why? ££££££
Talk it down and get grants and funding to increase it.
But it is rubbish compared with where it was 30 years ago, let alone 50 years ago. Biodiversity is in rapid decline largely because it is not sufficiently valued by society.These nature groups wouldnt have a job if they diddnt claim the uks biodiversity is crap. It suits their narrative to spout this rubbish
Any decline has 1 cause that can not be solved, over population.But it is rubbish compared with where it was 30 years ago, let alone 50 years ago. Biodiversity is in rapid decline largely because it is not sufficiently valued by society.
Farmers could/can help but we need encouragement and not threats and blame heaped on us.
Any decline has 1 cause that can not be solved, over population.
Only if you think youself unaturalIf we want return Britain to it's "natural" state we'd all have to leave
Don't know. Jury outBeen a busy week here with the herd tb test etc........
So are we all happy farmers now GFC has been withheld for the time being?
It feels that way.
And as we know, more than half of the world’s biodiversity lies beneath the soil’s surface. How many politicians/activists even know about that?What boils my p€€ most is all the talk that uk is some sort of biodiversity desert...
Everywhere I drive I see green. Hedges, grass, trees and nature.
Tourists flood to the hills and moors for the views.
Yet defra and the nature groups want to change it all.
Why? ££££££
Talk it down and get grants and funding to increase it.
Politicians have to have something to "sell".And as we know, more than half of the world’s biodiversity lies beneath the soil’s surface. How many politicians/activists even know about that?
This is it exactly, they want it all, cheap food and more nature, to get it, what they ask is be less productive and diversify, which on paper I am sure when the environmentalists were pushing for change to the committees that formed policy, they sounded ok because, non of it effected anyone on those committees.Biodiversity HAS been lost.
95%+ decline in hay meadows for example.
Intensive farming HAS driven much of that loss.
That intensive farming was driven by political policy and rampant population increase though.
Don't simply blame the engineers for what the designers and accountants demanded.
If they want the diversity of 1800s farming back then they must explain where their food is coming from and pay for it.
There are BIG discussions to be had in society about all this. Sadly, we get knee-jerk short term political grandstanding instead.
The government 25 year environment plan is a good start IMHO. The trouble is, it's being ignored in everyday policy but they still expect it to happen.
If you want farming to deliver big environment gains as well as food security we're going to have to be paid much more for what we do but no politician or campaigner is willing to accept that. They want cheap food without the impacts of cheap food.
There IS thriving nature on British farms . It's no longer in big blocks or well inter-connected like it once was though.
This may not be representative but our farm had a lot less hedges and woodland on a 1765 map of the farm than it has now.More grass/Hay meadows though .Biodiversity HAS been lost.
95%+ decline in hay meadows for example.
Intensive farming HAS driven much of that loss.
That intensive farming was driven by political policy and rampant population increase though.
Don't simply blame the engineers for what the designers and accountants demanded.
If they want the diversity of 1800s farming back then they must explain where their food is coming from and pay for it.
There are BIG discussions to be had in society about all this. Sadly, we get knee-jerk short term political grandstanding instead.
The government 25 year environment plan is a good start IMHO. The trouble is, it's being ignored in everyday policy but they still expect it to happen.
If you want farming to deliver big environment gains as well as food security we're going to have to be paid much more for what we do but no politician or campaigner is willing to accept that. They want cheap food without the impacts of cheap food.
There IS thriving nature on British farms . It's no longer in big blocks or well inter-connected like it once was though.
I have seen really old photos of the blackdown hills, it was far more open then, not so many treesThis may not be representative but our farm had a lot less hedges and woodland on a 1765 map of the farm than it has now.More grass/Hay meadows though .
Has that been publicly stated?Bit disappointed BFU not part of 2nd review. Any comment from our hierarchy?