Policy Officer and farming campaigner Harry Greenfield spent his first weekend of the month at Countryfile Live, taking in the show and talking to visitors about farmland wildlife, why farming is such an important part of the RSPB's work and making space for nature in a modern food system.
Earlier this month I joined tens of thousands at Blenheim Palace for the four day Countryfile Live event. Though influenced by traditional country shows, this ditched the usual vegetable growing and livestock raising competitions in favour of the awareness raising and showcasing of the British countryside that BBC’s Countryfile is known for. Unsurprisingly, given the popularity of the TV show, the event was larger and more ambitious than most other comparable shows, aiming to cover almost every imaginable activity or interest that takes place in rural Britain.
Farming and the countryside after Brexit
What better setting then, for a high profile announcement by the National Trust on their vision for the future of farming and the countryside? The RSPB welcomed this contribution to the vital debate over how, following the 'Brexit' vote, land managers and farmers can be encouraged to help protect and restore nature, while still producing food and an income.
Like the National Trust, we support nature-friendly farming and it is heartening to feel that we are part of a wider group of people - NGOs, farmers and nature-lovers - coming together to make this happen. This includes talking to government, and pushing for them to keep the interests of nature and wildlife at the centre of any future decisions. We’ll advocate that any future UK agriculture policy will keep the best parts of the EU system, such as support schemes for farmers who provide environmental benefits. As highlighted by the National Trust, however, too much public money is currently spent on agricultural subsidies that offer no guarantee of helping farmland wildlife or rural communities and this should change in the future.
The RSPB – working with farmers to save nature
The RSPB works hard both on our reserves and with farmers across the country to find effective farming techniques that create space for nature. Our stand at Countryfile Live gave a taste of this work in all its variety and I enjoyed speaking in more detail to those who visited it. I chatted to farmers and conservationists with firsthand experience of both the joys and challenges that face those living and working in the countryside. I also loved being able to explain to those who enjoy visiting our reserves more about how we work to create food and farming systems which work for people and wildlife. Given that around three quarters of land in the UK is used for agriculture it is vital that we take an interest in how this land is being managed and what the effects are on the surrounding environment and people. On the island of Islay in Western Scotland, for example, the RSPB farms on its Loch Gruinart reserve, helping manage the land for the benefit of geese, chough and red shanks among other species, while also managing to win prizes for their livestock at agricultural shows.
One of my favourite simple ways that farmers can help is the case of the corncrake. This shy bird, whose distinctive call is echoed in its scientific name – Crex crex, is threatened by modern farming practices. But these farmland birds can be helped by the simple act of changing how hay meadows are mowed. Mowing from the centre of the field outwards, rather than from the outside in, allows chicks to escape to the field edges. To me this is a perfect example of how information and advice, which the RSPB gives farmers for free, can make all the difference with just a small change to farming practice.
Another great RSPB success story is Labrador Bay in Devon, which the RSPB’s tenant farmer describes as “stress-free farming”, acknowledging the pride and joy felt from farming with and for nature. The reserve in on land that’s part of a working farm, bought by the RSPB in 2008 to help save the cirl bunting from the brink of extinction and is now a haven for the species. Restricted to a small corner of Devon, cirl buntings rely on hospitable farmland habitat and RSPB advisers have been working with local farmers to ensure that the land they manage helps the species thrive.
Our Countryfile Live stand brought the farmed landscapes of Labrador Bay to life, complete with real plants!
To achieve our vision for a sustainable food system we’ll need to build trust and understanding between even more conservation advisers and land managers, underpinned by support from government for farming that looks after our countryside’s future as well as its present. Luckily, we’ve met many farmers out there already taking or wanting to take more practical action to ensure that nature is at the heart of what they do.
Building a movement of farmers, cooks and eaters!
But to achieve the change needed means going beyond just those producing our food. A strong theme running through Countryfile Live was the link between how food is produced by farmers and growers and the end result on your plate, with much discussion of the provenance of the ingredients we use. It would be great to know the beef or bread you eat came from farms with healthy populations of birds, bees and butterflies.
I left even more excited about how from growers to shoppers and cooks, we might interact and support each other to ensure our farmed countryside is richer in nature, having caught a glimpse of this at Countryfile Live.