Farmers & Greens should be natural Allies

[Farmer Roy]

 

[Pan mixer]

We should be allies, I try to be green and environmental but the bar keeps moving up, leading to loss of production and a minimal improvement in 'habitat' which I can't sell.

 

[Goweresque]

Depends what you mean by 'green'.

If you mean trying to conserve habitats and the natural environment, then yes greens and farmers are natural allies.

If on the other hand you mean the hard left who have created the 'climate change' movement as cover for their desire to destroy global capitalism, then while they may indeed welcome farmers as allies for now, they'll have no compunction in destroying them too, when the time comes. The hard left are all about power, and forming alliances of convenience in order to get it.Once they have the power they desire, all the former 'friends' will be in the same boat as everyone else, ie jackboot on the neck.

 

[Pan mixer]

My issues aren't particularly with the left wing but with conservationists who have no idea of land management other than lassez faire and no concept of commercial reality as they have a salaried job.

I like them though and generally we get on fine. Actually they just like brambles a bit too much......

 

[delilah]

I have stood for the Green Party in three parliamentary elections, and am a farmer, so I guess that makes me an ally with myself.
As for the 'hard left' bit, in the absence of the Green Party I would vote for a centre-right party. The majority of people within the environmental movement, both at a political and campaigning level, would shy away from the hard left label, just as most farmers would take exception to the lazy stereotype of being hard right.
Yes the environmental movement has its fair share of extremists, and it is their views which makes good copy for the media. However I would argue strongly that in the quest for sustainability - both at a farm and a global level - farmers and environmentalists are surely natural allies.

 

[yellow belly]

Farming and Democracy and environmentalism work together until the price of food gets to high

Hungry people vote with their bellies and are not worried about green issues when their main worry is starvation

 

[Sussex Martin]

I have stood for the Green Party in three parliamentary elections, and am a farmer, so I guess that makes me an ally with myself.
As for the 'hard left' bit, in the absence of the Green Party I would vote for a centre-right party. The majority of people within the environmental movement, both at a political and campaigning level, would shy away from the hard left label, just as most farmers would take exception to the lazy stereotype of being hard right.
Yes the environmental movement has its fair share of extremists, and it is their views which makes good copy for the media. However I would argue strongly that in the quest for sustainability - both at a farm and a global level - farmers and environmentalists are surely natural allies.

A man with the name Delilah, have you ever wondered why you didn't get elected .

 

[delilah]

It's a football thing
The environment, Stoke City...I seem to suffer an attraction to lost causes

 

[Doc]

Is this 'your enemies enemy is your friend' ?
The greens are great TV and political mileage to the urban masses, but also do have an element of extremist opinion. This is fine when kept in check, or suits your own agenda in terms of mining over Ag but beware what you wish for as once the mining thing is over they may start on something else that will affect your business elsewhere out of the blue.
Look at the live export fiasco. Welfare disaster for a sound bite.
Just saying.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

3

Is this 'your enemies enemy is your friend' ?
The greens are great TV and political mileage to the urban masses, but also do have an element of extremist opinion. This is fine when kept in check, or suits your own agenda in terms of mining over Ag but beware what you wish for as once the mining thing is over they may start on something else that will affect your business elsewhere out of the blue.
Look at the live export fiasco. Welfare disaster for a sound bite.
Just saying.

That is more akin to what I was going to post.
Over this side of the Tasman they seem pretty keen to discredit anything agricultural and have helped in no small way create the rift that copies the pattern of the "northern hemisphere stereotypical greenie"

But never say never, the last GE campaign will have opened a few eyes on both "sides" of the green machine. The sooner we all figure out we're on the same side the better.

 

[martian]

If on the other hand you mean the hard left who have created the 'climate change' movement as cover for their desire to destroy global capitalism.

Where do I sign up? This sounds fun

I don't think the hard left could organise itself enough to manage a whelk stall, let alone bring down capitalism. Luckily for them, global capitalism contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction with its ludicrous pursuit of endless economic growth in a finite world.

Farmers are seeing this with the unravelling of the miracles of the Green Revolution, yields are plateauing while we pile ever more inputs into our soils. The greens might well be our friends as they help us work out a way of regenerating our soils to produce food and fibre more in tune with nature. A nation's soil is, arguably, its most important asset and, as custodians of it, we perhaps need to be a little bit humble

 

[SilliamWhale]

Greens are ok but they have to take reponsibility for food production policy as well to be credible. Until they do then they don't have much kudos. That said sometimes the RSPB comes up with great stuff and sometimes they just sound myopic. Everyone in the land sector has to recognise you can't have it all and be honest about the trade offs needed to achieve other aims - and I include the produce at all/any cost farmer in that too

I don't see why Greenism has to be left of centre. No coincidence that conservatism and conservation are so similar - not that I'm a mega Tory at all. What might drive more of a Green lifestyle is probably technology because it doesn't require the energy to achieve the gains more high input methods do - the problem is squaring this with capitalism is more difficult because if we're honest we all like stuff.

 

[roscoe erf]

A man with the name Delilah, have you ever wondered why you didn't get elected .

why why why ................

I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more

 

[Barleycorn]

A man with the name Delilah, have you ever wondered why you didn't get elected .

Where did she / he say she / he was a man?

 

[roscoe erf]

Where did she / he say she / he was a man?

look in profile

 

[Barleycorn]

look in profile

Ah, never thought of that!

 

[ollie989898]

Farming is not environmentally friendly. Please, you need to stop glossing over this fact and admit it to yourself. It isn't. You have a role in the global food supply, helping to feed 7 billion. There is no need to apologise for anything.

 

[jondear]

I have stood for the Green Party in three parliamentary elections, and am a farmer, so I guess that makes me an ally with myself.
As for the 'hard left' bit, in the absence of the Green Party I would vote for a centre-right party. The majority of people within the environmental movement, both at a political and campaigning level, would shy away from the hard left label, just as most farmers would take exception to the lazy stereotype of being hard right.
Yes the environmental movement has its fair share of extremists, and it is their views which makes good copy for the media. However I would argue strongly that in the quest for sustainability - both at a farm and a global level - farmers and environmentalists are surely natural allies.

Know of an ex green party farmer that now is going to sell most if his farm for housing development!

 

[ollie989898]

Farming isn't sustainable!

 

[RobFZS]

Most modern day greenies you engage with now, the deeper you get in to conversation the more you relise they want us all living in mud huts, eating grubs

they dont accept that there has to be a compromise of using the environment to feed ourselves, while doing it profitably

What they usually propose is to export all the environmental devastation to elsewhere to fund their cheap food experiment while we get the boot on both feet.