Food security and a beautiful countryside: two sides of the same coin

5 January 2010

CPRE today welcomed the recognition in the government's new food strategy, "Food 2030", of the vital role of the countryside in the future well being of the nation, but cautioned against a return to environmentally damaging intensive farming.

'We have consistently urged that the countryside should be valued not only as the source of our food but also for its beauty and tranquillity. CPRE's recent vision reaffirms our call for a future countryside that is both productive and beautiful.' said Ian Woodhurst, CPRE's farming campaigner.

However, in the past, intensive production methods destroyed much of the character of our landscapes along with important wildlife habitats.

'A lot of public money has been spent on undoing the damage caused by the mistakes of the past, for example when hedgerows were ripped out in the name of producing more and more food. A rush to introduce new agricultural technologies, such as genetically modified crops, should avoid such damage which would be costly and difficult to reverse.

'A new "Golden Age" for agriculture will require investment in both agricultural research and green farming schemes so we can continue to enjoy a beautiful countryside alongside sustainable supplies of food', Ian Woodhurst continued.

CPRE also welcomed government proposals to help consumers buy more local and seasonal food to reduce its environmental foot print. One of the aims of CPRE's Mapping Local Food Webs project is to identify how this could be achieved.

Ian Woodhurst concluded: 'Farmers can benefit economically from the increasing consumer interest in local foods and food quality but for farmers to remain economically viable it is important to ensure the power of the supermarkets is controlled.'