Redressing the balance between farming and nature

These are testing times for the agricultural industry. Biodiversity is in decline, food insecurity is growing, the economic outlook is uncertain, climate change is reaching crisis point, and awareness is increasing of the link between poor diet and poor health and wellbeing. Tackling these challenges will require a fundamental shift in thinking on the part of policy-makers, farmers and the public. Change on this scale is never easy – but it is a vital step towards a more sustainable future for the sector.

Biodiversity on the margins

The need to redress the balance between farming and nature goes to the very heart of the matter. Successive policies aimed at encouraging biodiversity and species diversity and enhancing the environment have only succeeded in pushing the two further apart. Terms such as “farming with nature”, “reconnecting with nature” and “nature-friendly farming” send a clear message: conservation or food production, not both at the same time. The idea that food production be increased on “productive” land while “less productive” land is used for conservation or rewilding further highlights the issue. Public opinion on the subject has become increasingly polarised and, at times, vitriolic.

With limited exceptions, agriculture has had one of the greatest negative effects on biodiversity through a combination of displacement of native species, introduction of non-natives, pollution and habitat transformation. Conservation schemes are structured to push biodiversity to the periphery rather than integrating it. Farmland birds have decreased by over 50% since the 1970s, loss of natural habitats such as wildflower meadows is increasing and in 2020 the UK government failed to meet 17 of its 20 UN biodiversity targets. Nevertheless, there is a time lag between cause and effect and – despite these shocking statistics – there is still time to put things right.

Food security under threat

The emotive topic of food security and self-sufficiency is increasingly a subject for debate. Currently, the UK is around 60% self-sufficient in all foods, a figure which has been declining consistently over the past 30 years from a peak of nearly 80% in the mid-1980s. The vulnerability of supply chains was highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic when supermarket shelves – typically packed with products from around the world – were at times empty. Despite certain lobbyist and farming support groups calling for the UK to become more self-sufficient, public demands and expectations make this a near impossibility without substantial changes in attitude and policy.

Agri-businesses under pressure

The Brexit trade deal has been welcomed by farming businesses, but many still face short and longer term financial and economic challenges. The tapering and eventual removal of the Basic Payment Scheme will have a significant impact on many businesses across the sector which have become over-reliant on it and the likelihood of the Environmental Land Management Scheme replacing even 50% of that lost income is remote. Longer term, changing consumer dietary requirements and the requirements set out in the Agriculture Bill – including for environmental improvements or increased public access to the countryside – will put further pressure on businesses, and some will struggle to respond and adapt. Farming businesses are often multi-generational, with little or no financial retirement provision, forcing farmers to continue working well past traditional retirement age.

The global impact of climate change

Climatic variability and the growing frequency of extreme weather events are having a significant impact on land use and productivity. The extent to which agriculture is contributing to climate change is keenly debated but, while there are some shining examples of carbon neutral and even carbon positive businesses, the sector remains a net emitter. The fact that other sectors may have greater emissions is irrelevant. All parts of the agricultural sector should feel a moral obligation to address the issue and agricultural businesses should lead by example. While the impact of climate change is, as yet, less acute in the UK, globally it is having a significant impact on habitats and food production, and long-term food security is now a real concern in many countries. The opportunities for agricultural businesses to become net positive and to sequester carbon are substantial.

Poor diet, poor health

Diet-related issues continue to have a significant impact on many people’s health and social wellbeing. Consumption of processed food with low nutritional value has increased substantially over the past decade and continues to do so. The agri-food sector has responded to public demand and driven this growth while lowering the cost of food to an unsustainable level. It is thought that more than one in seven deaths in the UK is linked to poor diet, which is associated with conditions such as obesity, heart failure and diabetes. The cost and negative impact of these to the NHS and wider society is significant and is expected to increase further.

Joined-up thinking: the role of government

These are substantial issues, and ones that reach far beyond the UK; but they are not new. Successive governments have sought to address them through a combination of legislation and regulation and well-meaning – but often poorly executed – financial stimuli and incentives. Results have at best been mixed, largely because governments consistently view issues in isolation. This approach, while it may be easier from a policy and administrative perspective, fails to tackle the root causes and so is doomed to fail.

Governments must recognise and adopt macro integrated management strategies, addressing the interconnectivity that exists in order to optimise the symbiotic relationships between humans, plants, animals and the environment. This would mean bringing together multiple government departments and agencies. It would also require individual departments to act. Defra should be encouraging more farmers to move to sustainable practices and providing more support to those who have already made the switch. The Department of Health and Social Care must do more to raise awareness of the importance of diet. The Competition Commission should look again at the big four supermarkets, their market share and influence, and their impact on the supply chain.

Embracing sustainability: the role of farmers

At a micro level, farming businesses must be prepared to change and pursue sustainable farming systems. Various terms are used to describe such approaches, including regenerative agriculture, agro-ecology, permaculture and holistic management. Although all slightly different, fundamentally they are about coexistence – the act of living and existing at the same time or in the same space and recognising the contribution, relationship and balance of and between living things.

Farmers are also custodians of the soil, one of the key building blocks in an integrated approach. Healthy soil contains the soil microbes and bacteria that are the source of life for all plants and land-based animals, supporting sustainable farming practices that preserve, enhance and create new environmental habitats, promote biodiversity and support the livelihoods of farmers and communities. Healthy soil yields nutritionally dense food which improves diets, leading to reduced disease and reduced NHS reliance, freeing up public money to be spent on other priorities. Healthy soil can also play a crucial role in climate regulation and mitigation through carbon sequestration and storage and flood regulation.

Consumer power: the role of the public

It is not just the government and farming businesses that need to act, the public must too. This brings us back to where we started: to a need for a greater understanding of the implications of those split-second purchasing decisions, and a shift to more responsible consumption. We are all part of a global agri-food system that is worth nearly $10 trillion and has significant reach and influence. The industry sees people as “consumers”, buying products or services with no consideration for the consequences of that purchasing decision, and little understanding of what is a fair price. The complexities of supply chains are such that the majority of people simply do not understand the impact that their choices have on the environment, habitats and the social and economic health of farming communities. Yet consumer demand is the driving force behind this vast industry and public support the key to achieving a more balanced supply chain.

A unique opportunity for change

The UK, like many other countries, faces some tough choices in balancing the need for affordable nutritious food with ecological, environmental and social considerations. These are complex issues and, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis, it would be all too easy to put them on the backburner. This must not happen. Covid and the new Agriculture Bill together represent a unique opportunity and a catalyst for change. There are already many great examples of farming businesses who can see how all these issues connect. By adopting regenerative sustainable models, they are producing affordable, nutritious food in a way that also delivers an enhanced environment, increasing their financial resilience and building stronger and cohesive communities. Now it is time for others to follow suit.

Farming businesses need a policy and legislative framework that enables them to change and evolve to meet the challenges. Farmers are natural innovators and will, if supported, lead this transformation but the government must act to address the supply chain and supermarket monopoly issues. The public clearly has a substantial role to play too, in using their voices and votes – and their spending power ¬– to help bring about change. There are some challenging moral issues to be addressed here, but these should not be shied away from.

Understanding the interconnectivity of the issues is key to unlocking the solution; attempting to simplify and address problems in isolation will simply not work. What is needed is a balanced, integrated approach based on the principle of coexistence. Once people understand this, and are empowered with knowledge, change can happen.

Tom Heathcote is Head of Agri-consultancy at Knight Frank and is a passionate advocate of regenerative agriculture.

To discuss any of the themes raised in this article please get in touch with Tom

Photo by Alex Banks on Unsplash