Farming Information for Rural Ministry

No	Title	Summary
441	Rural Post Offices	Government has proposed a reduction in the number of post offices but with 500 new outlets for remote communities in centres like pubs, churches, community centres and village halls and using mobile post offices and home delivery. Research has shown that people value their post offices as community hubs but feel that the new approaches are ‘better than nothing’. The churches are working to produce guidelines to help projects in their buildings and some are involved in campaigns to get rural post offices used more.
440	Water	Water quality has improved over the past ten years. However, inputs of nutrients, pesticides and sediment from the farmed environment, as well as from other sources, can still affect rivers, groundwater, coastal water and wetland wildlife. The contribution from agriculture has become proportionately more significant as inputs from sewage and industrial effluents have fallen. From the NFU and Environment Agency publication ‘Good farming, better environment’.
439	State of the farmed environment	The number of pollution incidents caused by farmers is on the decline. Greenhouse gases have fallen by 12% over the past 10 years and over 4m ha of farmland are now covered by an agri-environment scheme. However, there are concerns about diffuse pollution, some farmland wildlife and climate change. The report calls for farmers to be better enabled to see environmental care as integral to their businesses and for their efforts to be better recognised.
438	Challenges for the dairy industry	Even efficient producers are leaving dairying now. Consumers may have worries about large scale milk production. Availability of water will be a major consideration for milk production in future – UK climate means we are well placed. Producers need to be valued better by buyers. The market need to be segregated and producers need to co-operate.
437	The challenges for agricultural policy	‘Farming is not different – all businesses are facing change’. Issues around world food demand, food and energy security and climate change should all be good for UK agriculture but we need protection to cover the costs of our regulatory burden and our work for the environment especially in the hills. There needs to be an independent auditor to keep an eye of supermarket relations with farmers.
436	Full cost recovery from Defra funded projects	A survey of third sector organisations and Defra staff showed acceptance of the principle of full cost accounting but uncertainties on both sides about how to achieve it. Some organisations are timid about applying for full costs and some officials are perceived as not accepting the principle. Defra needs to communicate its rules more clearly and third sector organisations need to understand costing and pricing better.
435	The challenge of biofuels	The primary challenge is to find alternative uses of crops and other plants. Success will depend on lateral thinking, developing sound supply chain market structures and close management of the business at technical and economic levels. The challenge is increased by unstable ‘political background and lack of interlinking of strategies’.
434	The challenge of alternative crops	The primary challenge is to find alternative uses of crops and other plants. Success will depend on lateral thinking, developing sound supply chain market structures and close management of the business at technical and economic levels. The challenge is increased by unstable ‘political background and lack of interlinking of strategies’.
433	Most beef and sheep producers are losing money	Most beef and sheep producers lost money in 2005/06 and may be mislead by their bank accounts which may show a reasonably healthy cash flow recently. They need to benchmark their businesses carefully to find out the true position and, if there is scope for improving their production, where this is.
432	Britain's favourite farmer's market	Edinburgh has been announced as Britain’s favourite farmers’ market. Other finalists were Moseley in Birmingham, Huntingdon, Chepstow, Deddington in Oxfordshire and Tavistock.
431	Year of food and farming in education	The ‘year’ will run from September 2007 to July 2008. The Royal Agricultural Society of England is hosting the secretariat and a wide range of organisations involved. The aim is to improve understanding of farming, the countryside and the food chain and encourage healthy lifestyles and good nutrition.
430	Sugar reform	The sugar reform deal of 2005 will have a major impact on UK production. Beet producers are likely to get larger and more specialised. The UK sugar industry is competitive within Europe but the threat from cane sugar is likely to increase. ABF and British Sugar are hedging their bets between beet and cane and geographically.
429	Shooting sports	Shooting is a growing sport which provides the opportunity for people to enjoy the countryside conserves the landscape and biodiversity and helps to provide rural jobs especially in the winter months when other work may be scarce. In the UK today 480,000 people shoot live quarry and they spend £2 billion each year on goods and services. Shoot providers spend 2.7 million work days worth £250 million on conservation – the equivalent of 12,000 full-time jobs.
428	Farming the historic landscape 2	This briefing lists the legal framework for the historic environment and gives links to more detailed information
427	Costs of unpaid labour on beef and sheep farms	The skills needed to run a beef and sheep enterprise have been matched to jobs in other industries as a means of calculating the value of family labour. An average family wage has been calculated at £11.18 per hour and £31,017 per farm. National Insurance and pension contributions need to be added to these figures. There are also illuminating clues to farmers’ views about their own competencies – they score their core skills like stockmanship and working with buyers highly but think less of their skills in staff management and business planning.
426	World Population and Food	We need to double the productivity of food production by 2050 and at the same time use less water to produce it. Farmers use 70% of the world’s fresh water and eventually cities will outbid them for scarce supplies. Will we invest in enough production research to achieve these objectives?
425	Farmingthehistoriclandscape 1	How field patterns, boundaries, ancient trees, parkland and buildings developed and how they and the archaeological sites they have produced need to be cared for.
424	Mineral planning guidance	A new framework setting out the Government's key policies and principles for minerals planning in England seeks to balance the needs of the UK's minerals industry while respecting the environment and society.
423	Farming the Historic Landscape: caring for farm buildings	Farm buildings contribute to the diversity of the countryside and they can show how agriculture has developed in their area. Effective conservation requires specialist advice early on and builders with experience of traditional building techniques need to be used. Links to more information are given.
422	Farming shows green shoots of recovery	This article by the Rt Revd Dr Anthony Russell, Bishop of Ely argues that political insecurity and environmental issues mean that agriculture is on an upturn and f arming is now at the centre of the strategic and environmental debate
421	Farm profit pointers	Better times for many farmers are on the horizon but it will remain tough for dairying (low prices), horticulture (increased imports), sugar beet growers (CAP changes) and poultry producers (high feed prices). High oil prices are making biofuels more attractive. Agricultural borrowing has increased by 4% over the past year and would be growing faster if farmers were not cashing in their assets. However farming’s balance sheet continues to strengthen because the values of farm buildings and land are rising faster than debt. Government has said it will pay full SPS payments where possible from December 2006 but that all valid claimants will receive at least 50% of their payments by the end of February 2007.
420	Rural Insights - the views, concerns and priorities of rural England	Rural people have a stronger sense of community than urban and are more positive about their lives. The impacts of incomers, loss of jobs and feelings that government is out of touch are their main worries. They would like to see better public transport, better road safety and more facilities for teenagers and, particularly in sparsely populated areas, more affordable housing.
419	Rural community development case studies	Successful community development in every case comes from a handful of charismatic individuals who are bold and original and enthuse others. The lack of consistent funding and the time consuming bureaucracy involved in accessing it is the main problem of long term sustainability of many projects. The most successful manage to find income streams to give them the money they need.
418	Rural Community Development	Rural community development should enhance the well-being of communities by strengthening the capacity of individuals to shape change. The report argues that the political environment is opportune but that better rural indicators of need and more effective rural proofing are required. Community planning is not engaging the public sufficiently and community development is inhibited by the way funding is organised.
417	Community Farm Lands Trust	A type of Community Land Trust which are a mechanism for the ownership of land and property by a community. Stroud Common Wealth ran a research project to investigate how existing community owned farm land trusts operate. It evaluated the range of benefits, identified best practice and compiled the practical experience as an action pack.
416	Well Being	Research on well-being is part of government commitment to develop indicators so that changes can be measured. Well-being is dependent on income, how active we are, attitudes and beliefs and good relationships. Some policies which already have a well-being focus are described. The research reveals some synergies and some conflicts between well-being and sustainable development.
415	Faith and Rural Community vibrancy	The church and churchgoers contribute to community vibrancy through church activity, village organisations and by giving time to care for others and share information about their needs. Ministers of religion also play an important role and with more support they could do more. Getting more people involved, especially younger people, is a problem. Better knowledge amongst policy makers and other stakeholders about what people of faith can achieve and more partnership working could enhance their contributions. The report poses a number of questions about how this could happen
414	Wild Bird populations 2005	Overall bird populations in the UK are nearly 10% higher than in 1970. Wetland and farmland bird numbers have been fairly stable since the early 1990s but with some species doing better than others. Woodland bird numbers have increased by 6% since 2002. Low breeding success among sea birds in recent years has not yet been reflected in lower numbers.
413	Single payment scheme- National Audit Office report	The report blames difficulties making payments because Defra and the RPA did not fully understand the complexities in the way the scheme was run in England, because of inadequate reporting systems and because the RPA was changing the way it worked and lost key staff. Farmers are advised to use the ‘payments calculator’ on the RPA website to check whether they might have received lower 2005 payments than they were due.
412	Dairy Farming shrinking	More farmers went out of milk production in the two years up to and April 2005 than had intended to when originally surveyed in 2003. There was a higher than expected concentration of more profitable and larger herds among those that quit. A recent survey shows that the dry summer and increased utility costs have increased dairy farmers costs by almost 1p for every litre they produce.
411	Farming, the landscape and locality food - a recent history	The post war drive for self sufficiency in food has initiated a process of ‘improvement’ which has focussed on commodity foodstuffs at the expense of diversity in farming, food and the landscape. The 2005 CAP reform signals a new agenda to link farming to markets, the environment and people to regain some of the lost ground.
410	Locality food and landscape	There is a revival of locality foods but many follow new recipes and are difficult to fit into the requirements of protected food status. There is scope to reconcile the differing perspectives of conservation organisations, specialist food groups and producers to include landscape benefits in the marketing mix.
409	Beef and lamb prices	Prices for prime cattle at auction have risen steadily through 2006. Good sales of beef for barbeques this summer may be one reason for the improvement. Prices for finished lambs have varied more than in previous years with low prices at the start of the year, high prices through May and June and a drop thereafter.
408	Farmers find ingenious solutions to winter forage shortages	56% of farmers have less forage in store than they will need this winter and 74% have already started feeding winter rations, some since early June.
407	Medical services in rural areas	The new General Medical Services contract may improve healthcare for rural patients improve working conditions for rural GPs. However some rural GPs may be less able to take advantage of the provisions to opt out of out of hours services or of providing additional services. Investment in IT should help tackle isolation of rural GPs. There is a need to monitor the response of Primary Care Organisations to the changes and look for examples of innovative and good practice.
406	Dairy farming - increasing worries	Prospects for milk producers for the next couple of years look grim but the answer is not to limit production in the hope that less milk on the market will put prices up. The milk supply chain needs to work together for more transparency and fairness.
405	Farmers manage landscape	The average English farmer spends £2,410 on l andscape maintenance work over and above work supported by official agri-environment funding. Farmers need to have sufficient income to be able to continue landscape maintenance or management the work needs to be funded from elsewhere.
404	The Voluntary Initiative	The Voluntary Initiative, led by the farming and agrisupply industries, has run a very successful five year programme to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides through training and the promotion of best practice. Originally introduced as an alternative to a pesticide tax, the Government has recently agreed for it to continue for at least two years
403	Farm Household Incomes	Average farm household income in 2004/2005 was £38,600 but the figures mask a situation where, on average farmers are drawing £7,100 more out of their businesses than they are earning. The data are tabulated by farm size, type of farm, region, age of farmers and tenure.
402	Affordable Housing Website	A new Government website http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/arh/index.htm provides information, useful contacts and links to best practice in the provision of affordable homes in rural areas.
401	Geodiversity	Geodiversity (rocks, fossils, minerals, landforms, landscapes, geological processes and soils) is a fundamental environmental asset but it is one of the least recognised and valued. Conserving geodiversity is about recognising the links between geology, soils, natural processes, habitats and landscapes and managing the environment in a more integrated manner.
400	Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy - Forward Look	The Defra food and farming strategy covers five priority themes, succeeding in the market, improving the environmental performance of farming, sustainable consumption & production, climate change & agriculture and animal health & welfare. The strategy also covers effective delivery, communications, better regulation, advice, training, research and partnership working.
399	State of the Countryside 2006 Discussion	A summary of what is changing and what is not across rural England, some challenges for government and the challenge of sustainability.
398	State of the Countryside 2006 Climate Change	In the countryside, the effects of climate change are likely to be seen in changes to landscapes and to the broad pattern of animal, plant and human life - a good short straightforward account.
397	State of the countryside 2006 The quality of the natural environment	The government’s target of 95% of the area of SSSIs being in favourable condition by 2010 may be difficult to meet. There are differences between northern regions, where farmland bird numbers are increasing, and southern regions, where they are falling. The quality of water and air has either improved in recent years, or is relatively static. The Water Framework Directive and the requirement for farmers to adopt Soil Protection Reviews are likely to set new standards for monitoring and addressing water and soil quality issues.
396	State of the countryside 2006 Energy production and waste management	In the last year, there has been a notable increase in the numbers of wind farms and the role of energy crops, while currently low, looks set to increase. Rural areas also have a key role in waste management, both as generators and repositories of waste.
395	State of the Countryside 2006 Recreation	Over the last year new rights of access have been delivered to around three quarters of a million hectares. This is concentrated in the areas closest to the large upland moorlands and commons and to a lesser extent, in the more dispersed lowland heathland and commons in the south of England. In addition to walking, there are a wide range of other country pursuits, such as angling and horse riding, which bring social and economic value to rural England.
394	State of the Countryside 2006 Woodland and forestry	Woodland now covers 8.4% of the land area of England, with notable concentrations in the South East and North of England. Planting, boosted by woodland grant schemes, has risen since the mid 1970s, with the planting of broadleaves outstripping the planting of conifers from the early 1990s.
393	State of the Countryside Farming	A succinct summary of farming facts and figures. Farming continues to experience strong pressures from low agricultural prices and changes in the Common Agricultural Policy. The number of people working in farming continues to decline and the numbers of farms with negative income increased over the last year. Levels of stress amongst the farming community have been increasing dramatically.
392(3)	Harvest update	NFU estimates show higher yields of wheat and oilseed rape and similar yields of barley to 2005. Across the EU there were increased yields for all cereals despite a difficult season caused by a late spring, wet earl summer, drought in July and rain in August.
392 (1)	Harvest update	Growers in Scotland seem to have had a better harvest than many further south with less of problem with the rain. The worst affected areas seem to be the East Midlands, and North of England
392	Harvest update	While the bulk of harvest has been exceptionally early, in the East Midlands, North East and North West a considerable proportion of crops remains standing and exposed to regular rainfall. Winter barley, oilseed rape and oats have been mostly completed and many growers are well on their way through spring barley and wheat. Later spring crops and grain maize remain to be started. With relatively good progress in the harvest, growers are planting oilseed rape for 2007 where field conditions are not too wet.
391	Rural estate sustainability	Five case histories show how some big estates are showing the way in rural development. Rural agencies need to work with them more than they do.
390	State of the Countryside 2006 Rural businesses	There has been growth in the business stock in rural England over the last 10 years but it has been particularly concentrated in the centre and south. The lagging rural areas are not making any significant progress in catching up with the rest of England. In the last year there has been a dip in business growth, with most rural areas experiencing a fall in business numbers.
389	State of the Countryside 2006 Rural employment	Rural areas tend to have higher levels of economic activity and also a richer pattern of different forms of employment with more self employment, part-time and home working. Job density and so job choice, is lower in rural areas, but as a whole they still provide around three quarters of the jobs required by rural residents, with some evidence that this proportion is slightly increasing.
388	State of the Countryside 2006 Household incomes	Household incomes are higher in the smaller rural settlements than in urban areas. Sparse areas have a higher proportion of households in income poverty. Rural household incomes are complex. Wages are important, but so are other sources such as benefits and pensions. There has been a consistent gap between the wages paid in the most rural areas and those paid in the most urban areas - around £130 per week.
387	State of the Countryside 2006 Community strength and safety	Rural areas demonstrate better community strength and safety than their urban counterparts. They also experience a lower and falling level of crime. However community participation is not equally strong across all groups and crime and the fear of crime remain real.
386	State of the Countryside 2006 Rural transport	Rural people, on average, take more trips and travel further than urban. In general, average travel to work distances for rural people are higher than in urban areas, although this pattern is less clear in the sparsely populated areas, some of which may have a higher degree of self-containment. Access to private transport is less widespread in groups such as the elderly, the young and the disabled and all of those without access to cars face a very different transport situation to the mobile majority.
385	Rural research priorities	The report identifies gaps in published rural research. Users often found it difficult to reach the right researchers. Preferred means of dissemination were written reports and interactive workshops. A research facilitation service is recommended to help shape research ideas and put bids together. Research needs are centred on developing skills, supply chain development, knowledge transfer, managing climate and demographic change and helping farmers to change what they do.
384	State of the Countryside 2006 Rural services	The long-term trend of reduction in the numbers and availability of many services continues. In particular, there have been notable reductions in numbers of job centres and petrol stations, as well as in post offices, banks and secondary schools. For some public services - education, rural residents continue to receive mainly good outcomes. Underpinning many of the issues of service provision is the challenge of determining appropriate funding.
383	State of the Countryside 2006 - Rural Housing	The combination of continuing high demand and constrained supply means that housing affordability is a critical issue for most rural areas. The enduring attraction of rural living is one of the factors placing unrelenting pressure on rural housing markets. Although more affordable houses are now being built in rural areas, the level of new development is far below that required to meet established needs,
382	State of the Countryside, 2006 - Rural people	The rural population of 9.5 million people is distributed across England in a complex pattern that varies by region and across the different sizes of settlements. There are fewer 16 to 40 year olds in rural communities than urban. Net migration to rural areas is likely to continue though many rural populations are highly stable. If current trends continue, it will be the most rural areas that will experience the greatest growth in population across England.
381	The state of the countryside 2006 What we mean by ‘rural’	The official Rural and Urban Definition for England and Wales creates a set of detailed categories for all settlements, classifying them in terms of their immediate population density as hamlets, villages, rural towns and urban (all settlements over 10,000 population) and in terms of their wider population density as sparsely or less sparsely populated. This detailed definition enables a number of broader classifications, for example for local authority districts, which can be applied when information is only available at a less precise level.
380	Does hill farming have a sustainable future?	Changes to CAP support and low prices for produce threaten to reduce hill farming below the critical mass which makes it sustainable. Already there are problems coping with the high seasonal labour requirements of hill sheep. Hefted sheep are key to maintaining moorland landscapes and if they disappear it might be impossible to replace them if better times return. People in areas where there is a history of off-farm employment are coping better with the situation than others.
379	Differentiation - conclusions	Differentiated produce could help farming cope with its crisis but it needs all concerned to work together to help convert customer’s preferences into purchases. Local and seasonal foods are identified as areas which offer potential for deepening differentiation.
378	Differentiation - farming: crisis and market failure	Drastic restructuring of agriculture risks triggering huge economic, environmental and social change. Once farmers go out of business the skills they have go with them and will be difficult to replace. Not much UK farming can compete with global prices and differentiation will allow them to set their produce apart from imported alternatives. Issues food miles will help differentiation.
377	State of the Countryside 2006 - Key Facts	37 essential facts about rural life
376	Differentiation – understanding consumers	Differentiated products need the support of concerted information to become more accepted because consumers lack awareness of the issues and worry about being manipulated by supermarkets. Poor labelling doesn’t help. Awareness could be increased about farming and its benefits and about the distribution of profits. Local produce and seasonality should be promoted because they offer simple stories and appeal to consumers’ self interest.
375(5)	Harvest report	The wet weather is still holding farmers up and producing problems with deteriorating quality and the prospect of fuel bills for drying grain.
375(4)	Harvest Report	The wet weather is frustrating farmers who still have some harvest to do. Yields and quality are variable according to the impacts of the weather earlier in the year and during harvest.
375(3)	Harvest Report	Harvest has more or less finished in the south with the best crops where there has been rain earlier. Further north the continuing showers are frustrating some and when they can get into spring sown crops the results are mixed.
375(2)	Harvest Report	Rain in the last few days has brought respite from the hot weather. In Northumberland there was more rain in the first two days of August than for the whole of June and July. The rain will help grassland and potatoes but will come too late for most cereal crops. Across the country oilseed rape harvest is more or less complete with generally disappointing yields and low moisture levels. Otherwise harvest progress is good – up to two weeks earlier than normal.
375(1)	Harvest Report	Harvest is proceeding speedily with winter barley more or less finished in the south. Results have been mixed depending on where and when the rain fell. Poorest crops have been in the east and things look better in the wetter west and the north where harvest is just getting under way.
375	Harvest Report	The hot dry weather is allowing harvest to proceed speedily in most parts but there are worries that wheat yields will be affected by the lack of rain. Winter barley yields have been good in the east but variable elsewhere.
374	Differentiation – market trends	There are opportunities for farmers to link food production to the growing market for environment, animal welfare, local, regional, British, seasonal and organic standards. Consumers support say they support differentiated produce but their preferences tend not to be reflected in day-to-day purchasing decisions. Better and wider broadcast information is needed to change views into action.
373	BlueSky 35 predictions - agriculture	Finding enough water to grow higher yielding crops will be a big problem in the east of England . Plant breeding will produce more pest resistant varieties to help cope with increasing problems from pesticide resistance. There will be an increasing split between those who farm for business profitability and those who are in it for lifestyle but everyone will be looking for differentiated produce to compete with cheaper produce from abroad.
372	BlueSky 35 predictions - application of technology	New integrated pollution monitoring tools will demonstrate where action needs to be taken and the most cost effective way of taking it. Most UK farm transactions will be conducted online and farm data will be collected automatically. Remote sensing of crops and use of IT to drive decisions will become common. Pesticide management will be so precise that damage to the environment will be negligible. Mobile molecular diagnostics will be applicable where they are needed rather than in remote labs.
371	BlueSky 35 predictions - food	China will dominate the global meat market, consumers will force reduction in food miles and demand for local food will increase. Animals and crops will be increasingly bred to provide healthier foods.
370	Differentiation - A sustainable future for UK agriculture	Differentiation distinguishes food factors like environment, welfare, seasonality and place of origin. It can enable agriculture to safeguard its viability. There is a disconnection between consumer attitudes which support differentiation and behaviour which does not but better labelling can help to change inclinations into buying action. The future of farming should be opened up to public debate
369	Agricultural Landscapes – 33 years of change	The defining features of England’s lowlands appear to be making a recovery. The quality and size of many hedgerows have improved. However, different parts of the country have had widely contrasting impacts on the landscape. Huntingdonshire and the Cambridge Fens have seen most changes over the years, such as greater field sizes due to the removal of trees, hedges or dykes, whilst Herefordshire has experienced relatively little change.
368	BlueSky predictions - environment	New developments will reflect the surroundings they are in retaining existing hedges and creating wildlife corridors. Roadside nature reserves will help species and habitats to respond to climate change and farmers will divide into food producers and conservers of the countryside.
367	BlueSky predictions – animal health and welfare	By 2040 farmers will be able to identify the actual genes they need to improve their genetics with new objectives aimed at increasing animal welfare. Consumers will be able to have live links to the farms where their food is produced and vets will be able to use similar technology to diagnose from a distance. BSE will be fully understood and will become a disease of the past.
366	Blue Sky predictions - renewable energy	Predictions that energy crops will account for 20 per cent of agricultural land area, biomass based fuels will be purchased for home use, on-farm anaerobic digesters will provide sustainable heat and electricity. micro hydro-power will be more common as farmers take advantage of increased winter rainfall.
365	Blue Sky predictions - climate	Predictions of drastic changes in cropping and landscape, rising sea level will mean East Anglia has to strengthen its flood defences, new taxes needed to fund climate change mitigation could double household tax burdens, new pests including the Colorado beetle could become endemic and we will be farming water.
364	British Agriculture - the next generation	Malcolm Stansfield argues that times are tough now but the future will be full of opportunities with the world’s soaring demand for food and fuel. The next generation of farmers will be fewer in number and will need to be better qualified, more outward looking, more market oriented, good people managers, have a better balanced life style put some fun and pride back into farming.
363	Rural disadvantage - priorities for action	Action is required with people, places, perceptions and processes to tackle financial, access and network poverty. Rural proofing should not end with policy design and service providers need more resources.
362	Older people - housing and support	Among a long list of findings: - enabling choices for old people is not just about housing but includes access to services. Renovations and adaptations to their homes and availability to assistance for domestic repairs, heavy gardening tasks and lifts to appointments are also important. Mental health services are particularly badly provided and some sheltered housing is not good enough. Higher costs of providing services can be justified when they add to the sustainability of communities.
361	BlueSky 35 predictions Waste management	All biodegradable waste will be banned from landfill - waste incineration will increase. Old landfill sites will be opened up and materials mined and more waste will be used as fuel
360	BlueSky 35 predictions - Environmental policy & legislation	The first four predictions from the ADAS BlueSky 35 are on the environment. The application of science will make it nutrient pollution of waterways by agriculture to be a thing of the past. The objectives of the Water Framework Directive will be achieved, but at huge cost and with a much changed landscape. Water quality will be better understood in terms of ecological consequences of pollution and clashes between the need to store more water in the south east of England and wildlife interests will mean annual water shortages and hosepipe bans.
359	Affordable Rural Housing - case studies	The Affordable Rural Housing Commission’s report makes repeated reference to examples of good practice and wonders why these are not repeated more often. It includes short summaries of case studies to help people not to have to ‘reinvent the wheel.’
358	Affordable Rural Housing - making it happen	It is vital to recognise the value of both top-down and bottom-up approaches. There is a need for decisive strategic leadership at national level, providing a strong set of policy presumptions in favour of affordable housing. The bottom-up approach is essential as a source of community intelligence and evidence, which supports a local vision and builds consensus to inform decision-making at local as well as national and regional levels.
357	The EAT beef and dairy database	An innovative communication project presents digestible information about beef and dairy production for farmers, their advisers, journalists, researchers and private manufacturing companies
356	Tenants, CAP and Diversification	Considerable uncertainty among both tenant farmers and landlords related more to the level and timing of the Single Payment and to issues surrounding entitlement than to future diversification activities. Nevertheless, more than a third of already diversified tenant farmers suggested that the Single Payment is likely to influence their future diversification plans. Worryingly, most of those who have not diversified have no intention of doing so in the future.
355	Affordable Rural Housing - better use	Making better use of the stock is important and can bring significant sustainability gains by helping regeneration and reducing the need for new build. The potential to do this from empty properties, converting holiday lets, housing with an agricultural occupancy condition and redundant farm buildings is discussed, also the issue of second homes. Retention of affordable housing once it has been built is also crucial.
354	Affordable Rural Housing - sites	There should be further investigation of possible changes to the tax system, new models for delivering affordable housing – including Community Land Trusts and a new partnership designed to brings together public land, funding and those able to build affordable homes
353	Affordable Rural Housing - Finance	More funding is required if affordable housing needs in rural areas are to be met. The Affordable Rural Housing Commission calls for rural areas to be given their fair share of resources as an interim measure, and then that the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 increases this to reflect the true levels of need. It also makes recommendations to encourage greater levels of private investment.
352	Affordable Rural Housing - Planning	The planning system plays a key role in ensuring a supply of sites is available at a price which makes it possible to provide affordable housing in rural areas. The Affordable Rural Housing Commission recommends reinforcing the provision of affordable rural housing as an integral part of the planning process. This process should integrate local input with strategic regional objectives, and embed rural housing needs in the Regional Spatial Strategies. This should be backed up by investment, based on robust housing market assessments and sustainability appraisals that take account of the needs of rural communities.
351	Affordable Rural Housing Commission Report – the problems	Government needs to weigh up the importance it attaches to social justice, mixed communities and environmental sustainability: all fundamental tenets of policy which are potentially undermined by a shortage of affordable housing in rural areas. It is estimated that around 7,600 social rented houses per annum are needed in rural areas plus a further 3,500 units of low cost homes.
350	Affordable Rural Housing Commission report – overall summary	The issue of affordable housing in rural communities must be addressed in its own right, and with urgency, rather than only after urban needs have been met. The additional housing needed should be funded through a mix of higher public subsidy and greater cross-subsidy from market housing development. What is proposed is the equivalent of around six new houses a year in each rural ward, most of which currently have a population of around 5,000
349	Carbon aware land management	First steps are being taken to look at carbon accounts on farms and evaluate the impact changes in management could have on net emissions. There is potential for land managers to reduce greenhouse gases and make money by selling more timber, by reducing tillage, organic recycling and afforestation but government needs to legislate to facilitate these processes.
348	Hill farm reform - possible impacts	This research shows that the more radical second and third options proposed in the Defra consultation paper of future support for upland farmers would be likely to produce deleterious social impacts and a landscape with a neglected appearance as farmers move out or scale down their businesses.
347	Focus on the future of farming	Workshops which brought together entrepreneurial farmers, younger people and communicators produced a free-ranging discussion about opportunities and threats. The huge short term problems were recognised but there was remarkable optimism about the longer term future. There was a strong agreement that the successful future of faming is in its own hands.
346	Is farming a place for wildlife?	This debate asks whether, in the efficiency-driven economy of today, agriculture and wildlife realistically can be expected to thrive on the same territory. There is too little scientific evaluation of agricultural environment schemes and results of those which exist have often been equivocal. However economic benefits can be wider than just improvements in target species. It was argued that schemes should be more targeted and paying by results rather than for particular practices might achieve this. RSPB argue that wildlife needs to be protected everywhere because some species depend on farmland and people want to see it on their doorsteps not just stuck in reserves.
345	Innovation in Rural Service Delivery	Demand for services is changing because of ageing populations, in-migration, increasing incomes and increasing expectations. The future will bring more localism, social polarisation and dependence on volunteers. The government’s ‘choice’ agenda will be difficult to apply in rural areas and it will also be very difficult to get an effective say from locals in community planning.
344	The quality and accessibility of services for the disadvantaged	Disadvantaged rural people value services delivered to their homes highly and anything which extends their mobility is appreciated. They tend to use the telephone and, to a lesser extent the internet to access information but have reservations about using electronic means for more sophisticated transactions. Different groups of disadvantaged people have different behaviour and preferences about accessing services.
343	Farm Sunday, June 11th	LEAF would like to work with farmers to sign up to Farm Sunday on the 11th June 2006 and hold an open day for their local neighbours, friends and customers to see farming in action and make the link between food and the countryside.
342	From economies of production to economies of consumption: implication for social actors	Consumption rather than production has become the key driver of the rural economy in many parts of developed western economies but too much policy and thinking about the future of rural areas still revolves around production. Land managers, planners, academics, NGOs, intermediaries and social actors need to be better informed about consumption demands and impacts and we need to learn how to cultivate rural amenities more effectively and avoid the dangers of defensive localism.
341	Farmers-4-Farmers	Farmers-4-farrmers will use teleconferencing to develop local support groups in England.
340	The Whole Farm Approach	The Whole Farm Approach, Defra's new web-based system designed to save England's farmers time and money is now open to farms. The system will help to cut red tape by simplifying the way they do business with Government.
339	Green Exercise	Green exercise generates many positive physical and mental health benefits regardless of the level of intensity, duration or type activity. Agencies need to work harder and work together to develop green exercise facilities.
338	Ageing Countryside	The greying of England’s countryside is an important social trend which is producing changes to both older lives and rural living. It should have largely beneficial consequences, with older people being enabled to live their lives and to contribute to the full
337	Prices for products, inputs, land and rents	The inflation adjusted price for agricultural products has fallen by 21% since 1995 whilst inputs have gone up by 11%. Land prices and rents continue to rise.
336	Agriculture in the UK	Livestock numbers, crop areas, and the labour force. Tables showing UK trends in livestock numbers, crop areas and the farming labour force.
335	Community Halls for Rural People	There are about 8.900 village halls in England but they tend to be used less and less and mainly by residents without their own transport. The briefing provides links to sources of funding, advice and information about regulation.
334	Fresh Start - dairying seminar	One of the functions of Fresh Start is to bring together farmers who may want to scale down their activities whilst keeping some income as a ‘pension’ and others who want to get a start in farming. There are a range of options but these need to be professionally worked through to produce the best answer for individual circumstances. There is a need for better communication about these options as some older farmers may not have realised that they exist.
333	An alternative vision for the CAP	Professor David Harvey argues that the Defra/Treasury Vision is mis-timed and ill-focused and not a serious option for EU agreement in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, elimination of Pillar 1 support will be a nightmare for farmers and environmentalists alike. We need to reform and develop policies to improve the match between those trying to make a living from and those trying to have a life in the countryside. We need to remove the existing policies which are not helping and which are costing more than they deliver. The ‘Vision’ ignores the transition to an open market for food and farming. It assumes that government intervention will continue to be necessary for the environment and rural development, but fails to explore the kinds of intervention that might work. A copy of Briefing 297 which summarised the Defra Treasury Vision paper is attached.
332	Stste of the Dairy Industry	The dairy industry is in a state of transition after the milk market was de-regulated in 1994. Average herd size and milk production rises steadily but there is still room for improvements in production efficiency. Milk prices will probably never rise to the levels they were in the mid-nineties and producers who cannot cut costs will remain under pressure. However there is scope to focus on specific markets as the number of milk products on the market increases.
331	Post Office Rural Pilot Activity Report	A previous briefing with more about Rural Post Offices, in particular detail about the pilot trials of new delivery methods. The Post Office operates around 8000 rural branches but only about 1500 make it money. It has been testing innovative approaches such as allowing customers to order by phone or the internet, using simplified technology, mobile services and offering a full service in hosted premises. Customer reactions are broadly positive.
330	National Care Farming Conference 4 – Taking the idea forward	Conclusions from group discussions at the end of the conference confirmed the need for an umbrella organisation which could improve understanding of Care Farming and facilitate networking among those involved. Training for Care Farmers, accreditation of farms and research about benefits are also needed. A grouping, the National Care Farming Initiative (UK) is being set up with charitable status. The Steering Group has already made contact with potential funders and responses have been positive.
329	Farm Incomes down in 2005	Farm incomes were down an average by 11.4% in 2005 even when the SFP which farmers did not actually get during the year is added in. Cash receipts (not including SFP) were down for all farm types but mixed farms and those specialising in pigs. Underlying trends for prices indicate that prospects are not good for any significant improvement in 2006.
328	Uplands reward structure consultation document (Rural development programme for England: 2007- 2013)	Future support will focus on the taxpayer buying public benefits rather than just supporting hill farming people. Land abandonment is not to be avoided at all costs. Levels of payment are not settled yet but they are unlikely to be higher than the Hill Farming Allowance which the new scheme will replace. The consultation asks for comments on three options but Defra favours the first of these - using current agri-environment schemes with additional payments for upland farmers. The paper also argues for ending of special support for the Disadvantaged Areas to concentrate resources on Severely Disadvantaged Areas and also give support all production not just beef and sheep as at present.
327	TB in Cattle - latest research	World research about bovine TB is revealing the complexity of the disease. The weaknesses of the current control policy are being highlighted and more can be done to control the disease in cattle. On specific farms the culling of badgers will be necessary but only when other disease controls are firmly in place .
326	Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 - exclusions	The European Union Rural Development Regulation contains some measures which Defra proposes to exclude from the Rural Development Programme. They are; supporting farmers who participate in food quality schemes, helping them to adapt to demanding standards based on Community legislation, setting up of young farmers and early retirement of farmers and farm workers, animal Welfare payments and compensation for costs incurred through having to comply with some environmental requirements.
325	Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 Consultation	The proposals contain three core themes: enhancing the environment and countryside, making agriculture and forestry more competitive and enhancing opportunity in rural areas for those who are disadvantaged. The document stresses the need for clear evidence to justify funding. Delivery will be via Natural England and the Forestry Commission for environmental funds and via Regional Development Agencies for farming, forestry and the rest of the rural economy.
324	Social Impacts Group 02	Notes from a meeting discussing the situation of farming and possible futures for the group. Among the points arising - survivors of the current pressures will be most likely to be those with business minds rather than those geared to historical ties and ways of working. A recent survey has shown that 80% of farmers do not intend to change what they do. Single farm payments are at last beginning to reach farmers but delays have cost them extra interest and some branches of some banks have treated farmers unsympathetically. Calls to Farming Help organisations have increase markedly since the beginning of this year.
323	Farmers wait and see	Results from the Farm Business Survey show that most farmers are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to the new CAP arrangements and so will continue to farm in much the same way over the next couple of years.
322	National Care Farming Conference 3 - Practitioners	Three detailed case studies of care farming experience give a vivid picture of the commitment needed to care farm and the benefits to the development, self esteem and wellbeing of those participating. This experience underlines the need for long-term persistent care, qualification in small but real steps, responsibility for ‘real work’ and participants supporting each other.
321	Foot & Mouth - the legacy	The report takes stock of the impacts of the disease and the changes it engendered in disease control, farming and rural policy and explores some of the unintended consequences. It criticises the sloppiness of disease control measures and profound misconceptions about the relative importance of farming and other rural business. Biosecurity has improved but questions remain about farmers’ attitudes to it. New contingency arrangements still leave a lot of flexibility for political considerations to come into play. Current government strategies still miss the sense of how the development of farming might be better integrated with the overall rural economy.
320	National Care Farm Conference 2. Care Farming in Holland	Care Farming in Holland has its own national centre subsidised by the government. The centre promotes Care Farming among farmers and the care sector, brings farmers and clients together and is responsible for standards and training. The briefing describes the experience and benefits to all concerned.
319	A note on some product prices	More evidence that life is tough for farmers.
318	National Care Farm Conference 1. The potential	Care Farms run health, education and welfare initiatives for people with a range of needs. They have the potential for lasting improvements in health by contact with nature, the land and farming. Hard facts are needed about their efficacy before funders will get actively interested and a Care Farm network is needed to increase the profile of initiatives and exchange best practice.
317	Database of good practice in rural health and wellbeing	The database provides an easily searchable website for anyone looking for working examples of projects which improve the care of people living in rural communities. The Institute of Rural Health are looking for examples of good practice to add to the database. This briefing gives three examples of database entries.
316	Outdoor Recreation	Factors which will affect the provision of outdoor recreation in the next 15 years will include health and wellbeing (increasingly mental health), increased spending on leisure, increased time spent indoors, urbanisation of culture, social inclusion the cost of motoring. Outdoor recreation needs to be high quality to compete with the commercial leisure sector, more clearly part of policy agendas and make better use of home IT to help people decide where to go.
315	Social impacts of Social Change	This research finds that the personal and social costs of agricultural adjustment are being internalised in farming families and warns of longer term social repercussions. Confidence and self-respect amongst farmers needs to be promoted so that they are seen as members of a newly emerging multifunctional land management community. The research has also shown that there are social as well as economic benefits associated with diversification as farmers are drawn into a wider set of social networks and customer relations. It recommends that escape routes should be made available for those who need them and that continued support for the Farming Help organisations is required.
314	Climate change - impacts and adaptation	Climate change could increase yields of some crops and produce opportunities to grow new crops. There will be new problems from pests and diseases and more ventilation and cooling of livestock housing will be needed. Grazing stock will be able to be kept out longer. The increasing frequency of extreme weather will damage crops and buildings and increase soil erosion. Sea level rises will affect a high proportion of our best cropping land. Biofuels, biomass, new crops more efficient fertilising of land, changing livestock feeding and anaerobic digestion of wastes could all ameliorate the impacts of climate change. There is scope for absorbing more carbon in agricultural land though this may not be a solution in the long term. Carbon trading may provide new income streams for farmers. The new CAP arrangements are climate change friendly.
313	Climate Change and Agriculture	Increases in greenhouse gases have warmed the atmosphere and whilst there is widespread world agreement that action to combat change is necessary world government responses are seen to be inadequate. Agriculture’s emissions are falling but it is still a major contributor to emissions of methane and nitrous oxide but not of carbon dioxide. Impacts in the UK will vary regionally with most warming in the south. Lower rainfall and higher temperatures will lead to water shortages. More erratic weather patterns and rising sea levels could be the most difficult consequences for agriculture
312	Social Impacts Group	A group set up by the Arthur Rank Centre aims to facilitate the exchange of information about farming change. Calls to Farming Help organisations are