The NFU
• The NFU represents 55,000 farm businesses in England and Wales involving an estimated 155,000 farmers, managers and partners in the business.
• In addition NFU Countryside is a major NFU membership category for people interested in the countryside and rural issues, with a further 55,000 members
The Farmed Environment
Farmers take great pride in protecting their land and the environment. Their positive contribution to the management and protection of the countryside is often overlooked - but we're hoping to change that with the release of our latest Positive Facts about Farming publication. Did you know that farm species such as the cirl bunting and stone curlew are flourishing? Or that 41% of all hedgerows in England are managed by farmers? Get our latest agri-environment report, packed with quotable stats, here.
• Around 75 per cent of the land in England and Wales is managed by farmers.
• More than six million hectares of land is under active environmental management.
• Uptake of Entry Level Schemes for environmental stewardship is around five million hectares – roughly 54 per cent of the eligible agricultural land in England.
• England and Wales has 515,000km of hedgerows and 90,000km of stone walls.
Farming Economics
• Agriculture and horticulture contribute £5.8 billion to the GVA (Gross Value Added) of the UK economy.
• The rural economy turns over £300 billion each year and employs 5.5 million people.
• Agriculture employs 531,000 people – 1.7 per cent of the total workforce.
• The UK sheep breeding flock is 5.6 million.
• In October 2009, 1.02 billion litres of milk was delivered to dairies.
• UK self-sufficiency was 60 per cent in all food and 73 per cent in indigenous type food in 2008.
Emissions
• Agricultural production is currently responsible for about 7% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. The livestock industry has reduced its methane emissions by 17 per cent since 1990.
The Red Tractor Logo
• Consumer logos The Red Tractor can be found on more than ten billion pounds worth of food. The logo is an independent guarantee that food comes from farms and companies meeting high standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection, and it can be traced back to the farm gate. All of the Red Tractor’s 78,000 licenced farmers are independently inspected.