Did you see the Daily Telegraph this morning? They reported some stark figures from the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI; a charity that provides support for farmers in need throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
RABI have shown that many farmers are facing severe poverty. They have paid out twice as much in emergency grants as they did last year. A quarter of farmers are living below the poverty line and a third survive on less than £10,000 a year.
I considered myself pretty well aware of the tough circumstances that many farmers face, but the scale of these figures still shocked me.
Our farmers are custodians of our countryside. Our whole society needs farmers to take care of the countryside, for today and future generations. But this takes time, effort, and money. The news from RABI underlines more than ever why farmers should be properly compensated for the environmental work they do for us all.
But the funding for environmental work is under threat. Getting the funding right for environmental work won’t fix the wider problems in the industry. That needs to be tackled too.
But don’t let our countryside get lost in the mean time. Show your support for farmers to get a fair deal for giving wildlife a future – email your MEP today. It won't cost you a penny.
Find out more at www.rspb.org.uk/capreform
PS And don’t forget to buy UK produce when you can
Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com
Hi Heather,unfortunately we both know this means they are bound to do less to help wildlife while concentrating on survival.