'Eating is an agricultural act'

Farmers need to convince consumers that the choices they make are integral to preserving the British environment

- Douglas Chalmers

THE public cannot fail to be aware of farmers now, following the protests about agricultural property relief, with banners proclaiming 'No Farmers, No Food'. Among all the claims and counterclaims, this is one statement that is obviously correct, but does it carry the same weight with the public that it does with the protestors?

This month's choice at our local men's book club was James Rebanks's English Pastoral (2020); it is beautifully written and is happy and hopeful, in stark contrast to his first book, The Shepherd's Life (2015). I agree with most of his points, but was interested in the opinions of those who live in a rural community, yet have less farming knowledge.

They commented on how traditional farming practices have been shed in the pursuit of apparent efficiencies and how we are reverting to some of the older, Nature-kindly ways; they were disappointed that food availability and price no longer represent local or seasonal farming. Most of the discussion, however, was on the distance that has developed between farmers and the rest of society, with many consumers having no appreciation of where their food comes from.