British farmers are sadly used to George Monbiot’s one-man campaign against the farming industry, but his latest article is questionable even by his standards. Mr Monbiot appears now to be attacking the Lake District National Park in order to try and prevent it being awarded World Heritage Status.
He paints a picture of the area which is completely the reverse of what most people who work, live and visit the area actually experience. His view is that the Lake District is in a shocking state. This is so far from reality that you could almost think he has never been there. The fact that the Lake District National Park has 17 million visitors every year demonstrates the public support and enjoyment of a landscape which has been shaped by generations of farming.
Farmers are proud to embrace their role as custodians of the countryside, where they manage 70% of the UK landscape and we are also proud of our environmental achievements creating new habitats and protecting wildlife. Not only do farmers care for and protect the landscape, they produce the raw ingredients that feed the nation and for every £1 of public investment, farming returns £7.40.
If the Lake District does achieve global recognition as a World Heritage Site this is something we should rightly celebrate, not denigrate.
Yours faithfully,
Robin Milton, NFU uplands forum chairman