Agriculture House Stoneleigh Park Stoneleigh Warwickshire CV8 2TZTel: 024 76858500Fax:024 76858501How to find us - pdf
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This has been sent to The Sunday Times in response to an article related to the RSPB's report on the economic value of farming.
Sir, It is far too simplistic for the RSPB to state that a relatively small area of land given over to conserving landscapes or species can generate much greater economic activity than farming (‘Rural tourism at risk as wildlife vanishes’, The Sunday Times, September 25 2011). As Professor Nick Handley of Stirling University says, very rightly, later in the same article “some wildlife species depend on farming to create the right habitat”. Many of our iconic landscapes have been shaped and managed by farming over centuries and farmers play a key role as stewards of the countryside, maintaining and protecting the environment and species, alongside their vital role of producing food. Approximately 6.3million ha is currently managed in some sort of environmental scheme protecting wildlife, water and soil, almost 68 per cent of the eligible agricultural land in England. Further, the call to re-introduce lost species seems like a very costly measure given the current economic climate. Halting the decline of our existing resident wildlife should take priority. Dr Diane Mitchell Chief environment adviser NFU Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2TZ 02476 858532
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