The World has never been a simple place but I never thought that the present would be one of the most confusing periods that has faced the agriculture and food industry in decades.
I admit that I have a scientist’s brain. I’m uncomfortable discussing grey sciences such as psychology – give me black and white maths any day. Perhaps that’s why I’m becoming more and more frustrated with agriculture?
I heard rumours that powerful civil servants are insisting on giving priority to food security following the recent rise in food prices. It’s alleged that all energies and resources should be diverted to this subject from now on. If so, give up organic farming and bury all agri-environmental schemes.
Promoting ineffective ways of farming and expressing real concerns about the native sources of food don’t mix, unfortunately. I’ve already felt that the political momentum towards growing renewable energy has declined because of the need to “keep land for food”.
I’m not against organic farming nor am I against adopting sustainability principles, but I’m dubious when public money is supporting contrasting forms of production when strong leadership is needed on the subject.
The argument over setting land aside to produce energy was kidnapped by unmanageable voices who insisted that famine and destruction of rain forests entails at the expense of such a habit. Last year, less than 1% of the world’s wheat crop was used to produce energy! Of course, monkeys’ habitats should not be destroyed to establish palm tree plantations, but when was the last time you saw a tropical forest in Wales? Another example of a senseless argument.
Sooner or later, most customers will sense contrasting messages, therefore we must consider our marketing tactic in Wales carefully. Should an industry that depends extensively on exporting be shouting at everyone and everything to buy locally?
I don’t have strong feelings about this, one way or another, but it’s impossible to have jam on both sides of the sandwich as ‘Wil Cacan Blât’ once said! It’s not possible to curse supermarkets one day and then choose to shop there the next.
I admit that the economic and environmental mixture is extremely complex, but we as an industry have to act as snooker players and thinking 3-4 shots ahead of everybody else.
Should we as an industry now be pressurising the Government to increase policy emphasis on promoting efficient responsible production on our farms? Is now the time to revisit the debate about the blessings and curses of modifying human genes?
The market itself seems to be quite confusing too. As Aldi and Lidl thrive and attract with their low prices, grand shops Waitrose and M&S show a healthy boom too. Once again, there isn’t a clear pattern.
Before long, the supermarkets will insist on measuring how much Carbon will be let into the atmosphere when producing various foods. A sensible enough step at first glance, until you see the results. It seems that early trials of the system place widespread methods of producing meat like sheep grazing on mountain and hills as the worst contributor, producing up to 16kg of Carbon for every 1kg of lamb.
Poultry and bacon are the best performers with 2 - 4kg of Carbon for every kg of meat. It seems therefore that intensive farming with emphasis on efficiency is the best thing for us for a green future!
The arrival of this system will certainly be a blow for Welsh lamb, but it’s not too late to try and change the measurement method used. Labelling mountain lamb as the main Carbon polluter in the red meat sector doesn’t make sense. I strongly doubt if the advantages of locking Carbon on Wales’ high grounds will have full consideration by the measurement. This needs to be verified at once.
My optimism hopes that all this is a period of transition at this time, but my pessimism wishes for definite guidance on the way forward. I wonder if you have comments about which path we should encourage agriculture in Wales to follow towards the future?
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