Farming Information for Rural Ministry

No	Title	Summary
582	Innovation - the New Zealand Experience, Peter Kell, New Zealand High Commission, London	New Zealand’s overnight ending of farm subsidies was part of a wholesale shake-up of their whole economy which lessened the impact on farmers because input prices fell. Some assistance to make changes softened the blow. More direct exposure to markets has encouraged innovation and reduced livestock densities and fertiliser use so improving the environment. Competing against protected markets, more discerning consumers and becoming the world’s first sustainable nation remain challenging. National Farm Management Conference, IAgM and BIAC.
581	Which came first - the house or the job?	The relationship between jobs and housing drives the sustainability of rural settlements. In well-connected affluent communities the market should produce demand for housing and local planning policy will determine whether a suitable proportion is affordable. Where well-connected settlements suffer deprivation economic weakness may need to be tackled first. In more remote areas attractive landscapes attract development but affordable housing and local employment are needed. It is necessary also to consider local infrastructure, post offices, schools and doctors surgeries, in terms of the future economic potential of settlements rather than just their current usage and there may be a case for national intervention to achieve this. Ivan Annibal, Globe Regeneration Ltd
580	The world food equation, rewritten	The world food situation is being redefined by new forces: income growth, climate change, high energy prices, globalization and urbanization. The influence of the private sector especially the leverage of food retailers is also rapidly increasing. Changes in food availability, rising commodity prices, and new producer - consumer linkages have crucial implications for the livelihoods of poor and food-insecure people. ‘The world food situation: new driving forces and required actions’ IFPRI
579	A DNA driven world	Our ability to provide life's essentials of food, water, shelter and energy for an expanding human population will require major advances in science and technology. The future of life depends on our ability to understand and use DNA, but also, perhaps in creating new synthetic life forms. To some this may be troubling, but part of the problem we face with scientific advancement, is the fear of the unknown - fear that often leads to rejection. Craig Venter, The Dimbleby lecture 2007, BBC
578	Animal health cost sharing	A cross-industry partnership should improve health and welfare whilst protecting the public, the economy and the environment and reducing costs to the taxpayer. Responsibility sharing could progress via joint industry/government groups. Alternative approaches are an incentive scheme with farmers paying according to whether they are graded on disease risk, licensing, self declaration, taxes, levies, new insurance products and an industry scheme based on bank guarantees. The consultation also discusses how measures aimed at preventing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (eg BSE) could be stopped, made more efficient, transferred, charged or funded by levy. ‘Responsibility and cost sharing for animal health and welfare: next steps – your views matter’, Defra
577	The State of the Countryside 2007: Analysis and Action	A wide selection of rural stakeholders produced a long list of views about their information needs. These included the need for more detail about rural carbon footprints, climate change, water, movement of young people, home-workers, ‘rural dormitory’ dwellers, rural living costs, changes in land use and ownership, rural quality of life issues and interactions between rural and urban areas. In terms of necessary actions, it was also felt that the CRC needs to produce more case studies and good practice guides to help foster change, that it might help social enterprises to play a bigger part, that it needs to continue to persuade government that rural people have the same needs and entitlements as urban, to help make the planning process more creative, to push hard to facilitate affordable rural housing, to make the countryside easier for rural businesses and to improve the linkages between bottom up initiatives and top down strategies. We all need to do more to educate urban people about the countryside and what it is for. Also there is a need to manage expectations of the CRC as a smaller organisation than its predecessor. Commission for Rural Communities and the Arthur Rank Centre
576	Bluetongue virus	A concise and straightforward account of the disease. Experience in the rest of Europe indicates that its impact is worse in the second year of the disease in a country.
575	The future of UK Agriculture; revolution not evolution,	Farmers need to exploit all opportunities to capture value beyond the farm gate, view agriculture as the sustainable economic exploitation of land (food is not the only output), plan for a more unpredictable future with greater opportunities and they should not give up on politicians, retailers and consumers. Professor Chris Pollock, Aberystwyth University, National Farm Management Conference, IAgM and BIAC
574	Affordable rural housing progress	Stakeholders are worried that the Government’s lack of formal response to the report of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission may show a lack of commitment to its recommendations, that rural housing needs figures are not appearing in Regional Spatial and Housing Strategies and that the continuance of exception sites policy is essential together with steps to increase public land for affordable housing. Among a long list of recommendations - planners should be made to implement Planning Policy Statement 3, and arguments about sustainability must not inhibit affordable housing development Taking forward the recommendations of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission’ by the Commission for Rural Communities
573	Food production must have priority	Population, world trade, climate change, fresh water and using land to grow both food and fuel are the five key issues facing UK agriculture. Government must keep food production at the heart of land use policy to meet the growing demand. The debate on genetic modification needs to restart to see if we can achieve the necessary intensification without excessive pesticide use. Professor John Moverley, Royal Agricultural Society of England
572	RABI Gateway Project	This is a scheme to help farming people with low incomes to get recognised accreditation for their skills to provide better work opportunities for them outside the farm. Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
571	The role of the media in agricultural innovation	The print media are in slow decline, online is growing and content will increasingly be driven by users. Farmers Weekly in print and online aims to be a major source of shared knowledge, to set standards and influence agendas and to take into account the disparities in the information needs of individual farmers. Change both for farmers and Farmers Weekly needs to be incremental – no big bangs. 60% of farmers now use the web for business and use of FWi is growing fast. Hurdles to innovation include lack of transparency, past history, risk aversion, poor communication and lack of R&D, a learning culture and collaboration. Jane King, Farmers Weekly, Geoff Alderman Memorial Lecture, National Farm Management Conference, IAgM and BIAC
570	CAP healthcheck	The EU are to consider simplifying the CAP, increasing the rate of decoupling where necessary, reducing payments to farmers getting more than €100,000 per annum, raising the minimum area farmed to qualify for payments, standards farmers are obliged to achieve, making adjustments to intervention, ending set-aside and milk quotas, ways to support dairy farming in mountainous and other areas and ways to increase the transfer of direct payments into the rural development budget to cope with new challenges like climate change.
569	Rural post office network	Postcomm thinks post office services must meet the reasonable needs of rural communities using mobile post offices and part-time outreach locations if necessary. Examples of imaginative solutions are given. Responsibilities for support after 2011 are likely to be devolved locally. Access to online expertise to help communities through change will be available through the launch of Rural Service Support run by ruralnet\|uk. ‘A Sustainable Customer Focussed Network, Postcomm’s[1] seventh annual report on the network of post offices, 2006-07’, Postcomm
568	Workplace Health Connect in rural areas	Workplace Health Connect advises on workplace health, safety and return to work issues. It covers only a small number of rural areas. This study finds that more research is needed into these issues in rural areas, that the service should be made available to the smallest firms, that employers should be reassured that the advisory function of the service is separate from enforcement and that staff should be good communicators and well informed about the local area and industry specific issues. Institute of Rural Health
567	British beef and lamb campaign	The NFU leads a campaign to get consumers to support British beef and lamb
566	Fairtrade begins at home	The food majors puts pressure on the prices farmers get, products are labelled as British which are only processed or packaged here, farmers suffer from ‘flexible’ contracts and payment terms, they pay facilitation payments and the full cost of promotions and are unwilling to complain about these practices. The Supermarkets’ Code of Practice is not working although retailers who operate predominantly in the premium markets appear to pay more fairly. ‘Fairtrade begins at home - supermarkets and the effect on British farming livelihoods’, Church of England’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group
565	Rural business support	Farmers need long term support through change especially those with low social capital. They need trustworthy information, new skills, encouragement, particularly from their families, and time to take the necessary steps. Those providing services need clear strategies and communication about what they can and cannot do. Farmer driven groups are effective in generating change and they can get to some farmers who are difficult to reach. Funding for extension, education and training needs to be longer term and objectives which are seen as in the public interest should be paid for by government ‘Gateways to the Future: ways forward for rural business support,’ Royal Agricultural Society of England and ADER (Agricultural Development in the Eastern Region)
564	Blue Tongue epidemiology	The bluetongue outbreak so far has low prevalence of disease both generally and within infected farms. Mortality of infected animals is also low. Links to access up to date information are given. Defra
563	Badger Culling	The government’s chief scientist has advised ministers that a badger cull would reduce the spread of the bovine tuberculosis in the worst affected areas such as the South West and south-west central England and South Wales. However, he advises that any cull must be accompanied by a series of tough cattle controls for it to be successful.
562	Water and agriculture	Where there is competition between agriculture and the rest of the population for water agriculture always loses out so farmers need to work harder to ensure they get a fair share of it. They also need to use water in a more sustainable way. It takes 1,000 litres of water to produce a kilo of wheat and 11,000 litres to produce a beefburger. Stopping irrigation in the UK would have a huge impact on the security of our food and its quality and on farming and food economies. We could save irrigation water by breeding potatoes to use it better Water and agriculture conference, Royal Agricultural Society of England, the Fellows of the Royal Agricultural Societies and the Suffolk Agricultural Association
561	missing
560	missing
559	Why Farming matters – to the economy	The farming sector directly employs 1.8% of the UK’s workforce and the UK food chain accounts for almost 8% of the total economy. Rural tourism contributes an estimated £14 billion to the economy. Biofuels are potentially a huge market in terms of both output and jobs Why Farming Matters, NFU
558	Why Farming Matters – to the countryside	Farmers and growers carry out unpaid conservation work worth more than £400 million each year. There are 500,000km of hedgerows in England and Wales and farmers are devoting more time to maintain them than ever before. More than 4.5 million hectares of land is under active environmental management. Many farmland bird populations have stabilised and, in some cases, are increasing Why Farming Matters, NFU
557	Why Farming Matters - to the quality, security and value of Britain’s food supplies	Britain’s self-sufficiency in food is falling and critical mass is being lost putting both farming and the food industry at risk. Since 1998 retail prices have risen by 22% while farmgate prices have fallen by 9%. British farmers and growers work to world-leading standards of food safety, traceability and quality assurance. More and more consumers want to buy produce direct from the farmer or grower Why Farming Matters, NFU
556	Healthy Eating in Schools – a handbook of practical case-studies	Helpful reading for anyone involved in school meals whether professionally or personally. Healthy eating in schools did not start (or end) with Jamie! Edited by Verner Wheelock,
555	The year of food and farming	The Year of Food and Farming is under way and has amassed an impressive array of active partners to support its campaign to give young people direct experience of the countryside, farming and food.
554	CAP, regulation and research – views from the Conservative Party	A refocusing of CAP should maintain the total level of spending and investment at current levels through the transformation stage. We should provide for national and regional autonomy over the mechanisms for spending. We should reduce the number of telling farmers how to run their business. Trust is fundamental to the implementation of this policy. It must be assumed that farmers will do what they agree to do. We need high quality research and development. ‘Blueprint for a Green Economy’ a submission to the Shadow Cabinet Quality of Life Policy Group, Sept 2007
553	State of the Countryside - Climate Change	There is uncertainty about the impacts of climate change but warmer temperatures, an earlier start to spring and summer and a wider fluctuation in weather are likely. More mobile species may be able to adapt to the pace of change but even these may need help through provision of migration corridors and large scale ecological landscape planning. Rural areas currently have a slightly greater carbon footprint per person than urban areas. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
552	Snapshot of farming	Animal health crises such as foot-and-mouth and bluetongue are just part of the worries facing farmers in the UK today. Pressures from export bans and late subsidy payments to fluctuating market prices can affect income, leave morale low and result in many famers considering how or whether to carry on in the industry. A straightforward explanation of areas of concern, BBC
551	Farming and food – views from the Conservative Party	Presents ideas on the importance of farmers in food production and providing public goods and environmental services and on food security, diet and health, a low carbon food chain, supporting global development goals and enhancing the routes to market of small and innovative producers ‘Blueprint for a Green Economy’ a submission to the Shadow Cabinet Quality of Life Policy Group, Sept 2007
550	State of the Countryside- environmental quality	The amount of land under environmental stewardship has increased, but problems linked to increased emissions from transport, use of heavy machinery, livestock wastes and fertilisers still exist. More mobile species are making a recovery but it may take a lot longer for less mobile species. Air quality is best in the west. Erosion of landscape character has been halted in some places. There have been increases in light pollution. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
548	Blue Tongue disease	A simple summary of bluetongue – it is non-contagious spread by midges and infects ruminants but not humans. It has gradually moved up into Europe over the past few years, BBC
548	Rural life – views from the Conservative party	Ideas from a Conservative Party think-tank. Rural policy should be based more on localism and trust. Regional Development Agencies should be abolished. Parish Councils should be encouraged to work together to take more responsibility. County Councils should be more strategic. Rural planning needs to take account of community wishes more and recognise the linkages between the economy, the environment and viable communities. Localhold is a new system to encourage landowners to provide land for affordable housing. Regulation should limit the rights of trespassers and burglars to sue and make life easier for volunteers to run money-raising events. Country sports should be protected. Farm legislation should trust farmers more. Defra is not fit for purpose. Car use is crucial in rural areas. Rural post offices can be revitalised ‘Blueprint for a Green Economy’ a submission to the Shadow Cabinet Quality of Life Policy Group, Sept 2007
547	State of the Countryside – the value of land	Changes in agricultural policy, low transport costs, expansion of the EU, and opening up of EU markets to cheaper sources of food have reduced food production in England. Land use for energy production has increased. Wind power has grown rapidly. Increased leisure time and incomes in the urban population and the government health agenda will continue to create pressures on the countryside for recreation The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
546	Improving rural health services	Factors such as age and socio-economic status are more likely to lead to inequitable treatment than differences in access between rural and urban populations. The challenge for health care planners and service providers is to find the right balance between equality for rural populations and overall efficiency, and to find innovative approaches to mitigating the consequences of reality. ‘Are England’s rural communities benefiting from the increased expenditure on health services under the NHS Ten-Year Plan?’ Commission for Rural Communities
545	State of the Countryside – land use	The majority of the land area continues to be farmed, contributing to landscape character and management of rural areas but a range of external pressures continue to affect agriculture and land use. Non-agricultural purchasers of land support the growth in agricultural land values for both residential and non-residential purposes. Much of the land area receives some form of protection through designation. Housing density for new build is rising and more houses are being built on brown field sites. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
544	Pollution sources and impacts	A simple explanation of the sources and impacts of environmental pollution Draft Code of Good Agricultural Practice to protect water, soil and air quality, Defra
543	State of the Countryside – enterprise and entrepreneurship	There is greater entrepreneurial activity in rural than in urban areas especially among women and older people. Rural firms have been growing in employment, turnover and new products at least as well as urban firms. However large numbers of employees in rural areas work in the lowest productivity business sectors. Rural businesses are more likely to have regional, national and international markets than urban businesses. Enterprises should not be seen as rural or urban - many operate in both areas. Rural areas in the centre and south are among the most competitive in England, but other rural areas lag behind. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
542	Proposed measures against nitrogen pollution	Proposed new measures for tackling water pollution caused by nitrogen from agriculture may extend Nitrate Vulnerable Zones from 55% of farmland to 70% or 100%. They would also reduce the maximum amount of livestock manure which can be put on land and extend periods of the year where it may not be spread increasing the storage facilities farmers will need. There would also be a tightening up of the use of manufactured nitrogen fertilisers and farmers will be required to assess areas of land at risk of run off into water courses and they would not be allowed to manure any high risk land. ‘The Protection of Waters against Pollution from Agriculture-Consultation on implementation of the Nitrates Directive in England, Defra
541	Harvest report 5	For the south and east, the last week has been dogged by rain allowing little or no progress, but more ground has been covered in central and western regions and the North East. If the current good weather continues it will allow farmers to complete the majority of wheat. Many producers still have wet fields that remain at risk from waterlogging if rainfall resumes in the South East, South West and East Anglia. Farmers in most parts of the country still need four or five weeks of fine weather for the rest of harvest and preparing land for this autumn's planting. NFU
540	State of the Countryside - employment	More rural than urban areas achieve government targets for full employment, total employment is growing especially in sparse rural towns and rural areas also offer more diverse employment and more self-employment. Migrants working in rural areas have doubled over the last three years. Rural areas host large numbers of economically inactive residents and of employees working part time. Many residents have retired before state retirement age and tend to be amongst the richest or poorest groups, in poor health, or are looking after home and family. Nevertheless many rural residents older than state retirement age remain in employment The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
539	Harvest report 4	Oilseed rape harvest is effectively complete, with winter barley and oats not far behind as the catchy weather continues. Wheat is said to be close to two thirds completed across almost all regions of England and Wales. Yields and quality are likely to be down. NFU
538	Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration	The results of this review will direct development policies from 2010 onwards. Its main features are closing down regional assemblies, moving the responsibilities for Regional Spatial Strategies to RDAs and expecting them to delegate more responsibility to local authorities and sub-regions. It outlines measures for local authorities to work together in sub regions more effectively. Also it recommends moving the funding for the education of 14-19 year olds to local government. Among areas needing clarification are policies for coastal and rural areas which might need nationally focussed approaches. Review of sub-national economic development and regeneration HM Treasury
537	State of the Countryside Income, wealth and consumption	Overall, rural areas have higher average incomes than urban areas and tend to be made up less from wages and more from pensions, savings income and self employment. Incomes have been rising more rapidly in urban areas than in rural areas but expenditure in rural areas is higher, leaving less disposable income. Although older people in rural areas (especially in the smaller settlements) have higher incomes than their urban equivalents, this differential does not exist for the very oldest residents. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
536	Productivity and place	A recent report looking at those local authority areas identified by Defra as a priority because of their low productivity will be launched by the Local Government Association on 3 September. The report found that the 44 Districts concerned could be divided into "well connected" and "less well connected" categories. There is a ‘halo’ effect around the successful development of city regions which lifts the prosperity of well connected rural areas around them. The main problem in these areas comes from managing two speed economies which have pockets of deprivation. Rural well connected areas around city regions which are not doing so well are best improved by getting urban economies going but rural areas which are less well connected need policies designed nationally, commissioned regionally and implemented by better resourced sub-regional authorities. Productivity & Place - Economic Performance in Remote Areas, by I P Annibal and P Boyle, May 2007
535	Harvest report 3	Better weather for most up to the last couple of days has allowed good progress for most farmers though there are concerns about grain and straw quality and drying costs. The delays will knock on into the autumn and hamper the sowing of next year’s crops. NFU & FWi
534	State of the Countryside – community and governance	In some ways there is stronger local governance in rural areas with more Parish and Town councils. There is strong social capital in terms of social and political activity by rural people and the third sector plays a strong role in rural areas. There are ongoing reductions in rural crime (although there are some notable local variations). Community initiatives are starting to set up credit unions and other mechanisms to aid financial disadvantage. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
533	State of the Countryside – education	Rural areas see continuing higher levels of pupil performance but with lower levels in sparsely populated areas. University applications vary across rural areas. Less sparse areas tend to have higher rates of applications, but there are many rural areas (in sparse and less sparse areas) that have low rates of successful applications. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
532	State of the Countryside – health and healthcare	Physical and mental health are better in rural areas and people appear to have more healthy lifestyles but there are marked variations within areas. People in the sparse areas tend to experience consistently lower levels of health. Health may be related more to incomes, education and employment than rurality The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
531	State of the Countryside – housing and homelessness	Rural housing remains more expensive than urban – although the price gap is static. Affordability remains a major issue in rural areas. There has been a recent increase in rural housing supply and a reduction in homelessness but the number of completions remains lower than in the late 1990’s. Fuel poverty is a rural concern with much higher proportions of solid walled homes and lower supply of mains gas The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
530	Harvest update 2	The better weather continues this week and so farmers are getting on but yields are variable depending on the mix of weather the crops have been subject to. Most farmers across England are well into harvesting their wheat and hoping that higher prices will make up for the aggravation they have had this year NFU and FWi
529	State of the Countryside – accessibility of services	The proportion of rural households that are close to key services such as banks, Job Centres and petrol stations continues to fall. There has been an increase in free cashpoints although the proportion of fee-paying ones remains higher in rural areas than it is in urban. Accessibility to services (which takes transport availability into account) remains variable and one third of the poorest households in rural areas have two or more cars – in urban areas the figure is less than one in twelve. Accessibility to higher speed broadband still lags behind urban areas. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communitie
528	Plough to plate - conclusions	The food and drink sectors need to be more collaborative, responsible and transparent and less commodity-led and short-term. However there is a gap between industry practice and consumer perception. Increasing numbers of consumers will pay more when it is clear that food is locally or regionally sourced but there is customer confusion about the right nutritional choices and higher animal welfare or environmental standards. ‘Plough to Plate -The opportunities and challenges of running a responsible UK food and drink business’ by Christine Larson, Business in the Community, on behalf of the Plough to Plate Group
527	Marketplace responsibility principles	Nine market responsibility principles and eight features of best practice ‘Plough to Plate -The opportunities and challenges of running a responsible UK food and drink business’ by Christine Larson, Business in the Community, on behalf of the Plough to Plate Group
526	Harvest Report	Farmers need a prolonged spell of dry weather to allow them to get on with their harvest so the improvement this week allowed the more fortunate to make good progress and winter barley is now more or less finished in many parts. Oilseed rape which is next on the list for many is proving more difficult – it will take longer to dry out and there has often have been sprouting or shedding of the grains. Silage and hay making are also getting underway – but so late that quality will be poor. NFU, FWi, FCN
525	State of the Countryside – population and migration	We continue to see net migration of people into rural areas but the latest information shows a slowing of the flows. Rural areas have more older people than urban, and a falling population of people aged between 20 and 35. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communiti
524	Food chain safety, diet and health	Because legislation mainly follows problems rather than precedes them the whole industry needs to be vigilant about the impact of new processes and cultural shifts in food consumption. There may be a fine line between the industry tailoring foods which are good for people and nannying but because most consumers buy composite foods they are unaware of ingredients which may be harmful. Despite the difficulties better labelling systems, decreasing promotions on unhealthy foods and more responsible advertising could all play an important part in improving diet ‘Plough to Plate -The opportunities and challenges of running a responsible UK food and drink business’ by Christine Larson, Business in the Community, on behalf of the Plough to Plate Group
523	Weather damage	Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and a number of other, small areas have been particularly hard hit. All farming sectors have been affected by the exceptional rainfall, flooding and severe hailstorms. Farmers and growers are well used to coping with the vicissitudes of the British weather, but the relentlessness of the rainfall this summer has been quite exceptional, and the damage immense. Source – NFU
522	State of the Countryside – defining rural areas	9.5 million people live in rural England and 39.6 million in urban areas. The Office of National Statistics definitions group areas by settlement size and by sparseness of population. Defra’s classification is used to classify Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authorities and ranges them from ‘Major urban’ for the most urban to ‘Rural 80’ for the most rural. The State of the Countryside report, Commission for Rural Communities
521	Ethical supply chain management	The market for ethical products is growing at double the rate of the conventional market and retailers are increasingly working to source food locally and think about paying producers better. However building trust and longer term relationships takes time and money for all involved. Over two thirds of bonded and child labour worldwide is in agriculture and in the UK suppliers who treat migrant workers badly risk tarnishing the reputations of food suppliers. ‘Plough to Plate -The opportunities and challenges of running a responsible UK food and drink business’ by Christine Larson, Business in the Community, on behalf of the Plough to Plate Group
520	Changes to regional and sub-regional bodies	The government have announced proposals to change the balance between regional and sub-regional bodies. Local authorities are to have a stronger role promoting local prosperity, will fund education and skills for 14-19 year olds, will be encouraged to work in groups and with other agencies and will scrutinise Regional Development Agency performance. RDAs will have a more strategic role and Regional Assemblies will be wound up. (thanks to the Rev’d Nick Read for preparing this briefing)
519	Farm inspections cause stress	Farmers are unnecessarily stressed by inspections. Stress could be reduced by getting them to buy in to the need to drive standards up and by regimes of encouragement rather than punishment. Where penalties are necessary they should be proportionate. Inspectors should have better inter-personal skills. Farmers could be helped with paperwork and to handle stock efficiently. The agencies involved should do more to combine visits to save time. Government needs to reduce the regulatory burden. ‘25 regulations per acre-a report on the impact of inspections on farmers’ stress in Wales, 2007’ Farm Crisis Networ k
518	RuSource meets NERES	NERES is a new web site set up to support rural practitioners. It has its locus in the East Midlands but provides information and an advice service for all. Bringing RuSource and NERES together provides an exciting opportunity for all those interested in rural issues to network and build a strong dialogue about the future of rural communities http://www.neres.co.uk
517	Challenges and opportunities across the food chain - sustainable food and farming	Practices need to change if we are to feed the world’s growing population whilst respecting the environment and natural resources. However, consumers expect cheap food will continue. We need sustainable consumption and there are growing concerns for UK food security and the sustainability of domestic agriculture. Food waste including packaging is a challenge. Farming is steadily improving its impact on the environment. Genetic modification might contribute but consumers need to be confident that it is safe. The disconnection, between producer and consumer has put the onus on processors and retailers to ensure the safety, quality and provenance of food. ‘Plough to Plate -The opportunities and challenges of running a responsible UK food and drink business’ by Christine Larson, Business in the Community, on behalf of the Plough to Plate Group
516	State of the Countryside – sustainable rural communties	There are three key rural themes - change, equity, and rural/urban linkages. We will not move forward successfully on sustainability by treating rural England as a stand-alone entity. Urban England needs rural England for food, leisure, a carbon sink and energy production. Rural England needs urban England for jobs, goods and services. The State of the Countryside 2007, Commission for Rural Communities
515	Rusouce briefings 2003	RuSource briefings are reviewed regularly and updated where possible. Briefings which are no longer relevant are deleted from the library. This paper provides summaries of vintage briefings published in 2003, the first year of the project, which have now been reviewed. You can download any of these by clicking below. You can search the whole library on the Arthur Rank Centre website at: http://www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/projects/rusource_briefings/index.html
514	Changing Landscapes	The character of the English landscape is being sustained – changes are due to agricultural changes or development mainly alongside major roads but also in rural Cumbria, North Yorkshire and South Devon as commuting lifestyles extend out of urban areas. ‘Tracking Change in the Character of the English landscape’ Countryside Quality Counts
513	Climate change and agriculture	This briefing gives links to a series of brief, straightforward fact sheets explaining the impacts, opportunities and challenges of climate change on different farming sectors. Fact sheets, Farming Futures
512	Care Farming research	The research shows that there are physical and psychological benefits of being exposed to nature whether it is nearby nature (local parks, green spaces etc) or a wilderness experience but unfortunately it is not part of health or social care policy, or the food and farming agenda. Providing accessible green spaces is often not considered by planners when building new homes ‘Results of Initial Research Findings – who is care farming in the UK? How many farms? Why & how?’ by Rachel Hine, University of Essex
511	Farming Help - confidential help for all in the farming community	The Farming Help Partnership brings together the three national charities working in the farming community. Each partner charity provides different but complementary forms of help and support to meet a wide range of needs. www.farminghelp.org.uk Helpline: 07002 326 326
510	Rural post offices combined with a village shop	Post offices and village shops provide important services, particularly for vulnerable groups but 80% of the rural post office network is unprofitable. Rural services and other businesses rely on each other to attract footfall so the loss of one service could result in the loss of others and the consultation process about future closures and new approaches to outreach need to take this into account. The Economic Significance of Post Offices Combined with a Village Shop’ Environmental Services Management
509	The case for culling badgers	The Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management criticises the Independent Scientific Group report on the Randomised Badger Culling Trials arguing that ‘the recommendation to bear down more and more on the disease in cattle, whilst ignoring the huge reservoir of infection in badgers, defies all logic. It also ignores the chronic welfare problem for the badger.’ The conclusion that culling badgers would not reduce cattle TB is criticised because the culling rates achieved in the trials were too low. The statement contrasts the position in the mid 1980s when cattle testing with the culling of badgers practically brought cattle TB under control
508	Charter for rural communities	Central and local government, landowners, the Social Investment Bank, the Lottery distributors, Third Sector agencies, trusts and local communities need to work together to deliver a major expansion in community ownership of local assets, an enhanced role for parish and community councils, a Centre for Excellence supporting rural community development and help for local communities to run their own services and engage in community planning. A charter for rural communities, Carnegie Commission for Rural Community Developmen
507	Strategy for trees, woods and forests	England's trees, woods and forests can enhance water, soil, air, biodiversity and landscape, contribute to culture, amenity and social cohesion and produce economic benefits through innovations including substituting wood for fossil fuels. They can help to combat climate change and should be used more for educational, social and community purposes. Much woodland needs management and local people should be involved more in planning, managing and using trees and local woodlands. Strategy for England Trees, Woods and Forests, Defra
506	On-farm processing of non-food crops	Rapeseed is currently too expensive for on-farm biodiesel production. Straight vegetable oil looks better but engine modification is necessary to use it and there are uncertainties about its long term effect on engines. Anaerobic digesters will struggle to cover their costs but there may be grants in future. There is a growing market for products from flax and hemp but no on-farm processing equipment. Mobile equipment is being developed. High value crops for medicines or cosmetics can be profitable with good marketing but there are risks of overproduction. ‘Review of the Potential for On-Farm Processing of Various Non-Food Crop Products’ produced by a team from the SAC Consultancy Division and the National Non-Food Crops Centre.
505	Rural problems are about access	The key aspect of quality of rural life is having the resources or an approach to living which overcomes access problems. We should think about defining settlements by whether they are access rich or access poor. There is a need to know more about how the connectivity between urban settlements and hinterlands works in economic, social and environmental terms. The solution to many access deficits is sharing services between providers and greater investment in community solutions especially as support for “know-how” and the ability to innovate. Ivan Annibal, Globe Regeneration Ltd
504	Bovine TB epidemiology	Badger culling is unlikely to contribute positively, or cost effectively, to the control of cattle TB in Britain but there is substantial scope for improvement of control of the disease through the application of heightened control measures directly targeting cattle.
503	Farming Prospects	There are mixed prospects for the various farming sectors with relatively strong markets in many sectors being reflected in continuing strong demand for land, but with margins in much of the livestock sector being undermined by poor prices and higher costs. NFU Market Outlook, June 2007
502	Rural fringe communities	Rurality can be a complex issue in the rural/urban fringe and some communities that are not covered by the official definition see themselves as rural. Many feel that their traditional character is under threat mainly through new housing and incomers who obtain services where they work and have more dispersed networks. There a growing awareness of these difficulties and the development of new visions in some areas. ‘On The Edge? - Perceptions of Greater Manchester’s rural and fringe communities’, Greater Manchester Rural Resource Unit
501	RuSource briefings-Apr-July06	RuSource briefings are reviewed regularly and updated where possible. Briefings which are no longer relevant are deleted from the library. This paper provides summaries of briefings published in the middle of 2006 all of which have now been reviewed. You can download the actual briefings by clicking on the link in the paper. These and the other briefings in the library can be accessed on the Arthur Rank Centre website at http://www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/projects/rusource_briefings/index.html
500	Food Miles	Food miles are too simplistic to indicate sustainability. Instead several indicators should be used which look at types and efficiency of transport. Reducing food miles may not make a big difference to total emissions. We need a better understanding of the trade-offs between environmental sustainability and social and economic factors. Long term we may need to eat less meat and more seasonal vegetables and waste less food. “The Validity of Food Miles as an Indicator of Sustainable Development” AEA Technology Environment
499	Barriers to diversification	Lack of skills and planning controls are the most important barriers to diversification. Promotion of training needs to be better and training delivery should offer more flexible delivery hours and methods. Regional agencies should establish diversification demonstration farms. The planning process needs to reduce paperwork and give higher weighting to economic benefits of applications. Report of Joint Industry-Government Working Group
498	Farm and rural incomes	31% of farm households were below the Department of Work and Pensions’ low income threshold of £13,800 in 2005 – 2006 compared to 21% of all English households and 18% of all self employed households. In rural areas as a whole there was a steadily decreasing proportion of low income households with increasing rurality. Written Parliamentary Answer
497	Ecotherapy	People with mental distress should be routinely referred for green exercise, social and therapeutic horticulture or a period of time on a care farm – instead of, or in addition to, drugs and psychological therapy. We need to develop mental health policy and practice in such a way that we are able to reap the potential human and economic benefits of a new green agenda for mental health. Ecotherapy – the green agenda for mental health’ Mind
496	Cash purchases of housing	Cash purchases may create greater demand in local markets and put lower income buyers at a disadvantage. In rural settlements a greater proportion of house purchases are paid for in cash than in urban districts. However, many rural districts with high proportions of cash purchases also have a high proportion of households on low incomes. Cash purchases of housing stock, Commission for Rural Communities
495	Rrural benefit claimants	Rural England has only about half the percentage of its working age population claiming benefits as urban. The number of claimants is not changing much over time but there have been increases in some areas particularly in the south and midlands and there are differences between different benefits and ages of claimants some of which might be due to changing demography. Measures need to be rural proofed to ensure benefits are easily accessible. Working age benefit claimants in rural England, Commission for Rural Communities
494	Population and Migration	The rural population has grown by 13.7% between 1985 and 2005, almost four times the rate in urban areas. Internal immigration is the driver of this trend with families with young children looking for a higher quality of life making up the main group of incomers. The 15-24 age band tend to move out as they go through higher education and look for jobs and housing. There is a disconnection between these population movements manifested in housing shortages and a tendency for a stronger focus on developing cities ‘Population and Migration’, Commission for Rural Communities
493	Sustainable farming and food – emerging challenges	We need a strategy for sustainable land use and public health needs to play a more prominent role in policy. Taxpayers should cover the cost of all public goods provided by farming. Policy and the market discriminate against smaller farm businesses. There is no point phasing out productive agriculture to mitigate climate change, improve biodiversity and animal welfare if it just exports the problems. Shorter food chains will normally, but not always, help fuel efficiency and reduce susceptibility to oil price rises. Growing crops for biofuels could increase food prices. Farming is inevitably slow to adapt to changing consumer demands. Food Ethics Council
492	Rural Community Buildings	Benefits of rural community buildings include their low cost and community cohesion especially in remote areas but many are under-used. The skills needed to get funding are a detriment to smaller communities. There should be more grant packages which link funding with the provision of advice and training to enable poorly performing buildings to raise their game. Research into the Funding of Rural Community Buildings and their Associated Benefits, Rural Partnerships Ltd
491	Farming Oxymorons - Guy Smith	RPA payment system, CAP, voluntary modulation and thatching village bus shelters – a (fairly) light hearted look at where we are. Farmers Guardian
490	Dairy Farming Prospects	The average cost of milk production in 2006/07 was 21.32pence per litre. With an average farmgate milk price of 17.90ppl, it is clear that the dairying is unsustainable. It is argued that the supply chain must take swift action to improve the prices they pay. Costs are expected to continue rising and the sector is in desperate need of re-investment in order to be competitive. The direct contracts recently offered by Tesco are a welcome boost but are only available to limited numbers of producers. British Milk – What Price 2007? NFU & RABDF
489	Intensive Farming Issues	Demand for biofuels, emerging third world economies and climate change mean that we will have to farm intensively in future argues a prominent agricultural scientist
488	Bioenergy	Bioenergy potential and impacts simply explained. Long term potential is seen to be with wood fuels rather than conventional crops like cereals and sugar beet – especially when second-generation technology which will be able to break up the constituents of wood effectively comes on stream. Crops need to be planted and utilised to maximise positive impacts and minimise negative ones. Woodfuels Conference, Royal Agricultural Society of England
487	Food Chain	Agriculture accounts for only 7% of the gross value added and 13% of the jobs in the food chain. UK self sufficiency in indigenous food has fallen from 84% to 72% over the last 10 years. People are spending a lower proportion of their income on food than they were. The number of jobs in agriculture went down by 1.1% over the last year compared to a fall of 1.6% for the whole food chain. Farmer’s share of retail prices has fallen by 23% since 1988. Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Defra
486	Summary of briefings Jan-Apr 2006	RuSource briefings are reviewed regularly and updated where possible. Briefings which are no longer relevant are deleted from the library. This paper provides summaries of briefings published in the first four months of 2006 all of which have now been reviewed. You can download the actual briefing note by clicking on the link in the paper. These and the other briefings in the library can be accessed on the Arthur Rank Centre website at http://www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk/projects/rusource _briefings/index.html
485	Structure of the Industry	The number of farm employees in 2006 was 25% below the 1995/7 average and the number of farmers, partners, directors and spouses went down by 15%. The fixed capital employed in farming has fallen by 15%. Between 2000 and 2005 dairy cow numbers fell by 22%, breeding pig numbers by 23% and breeding sheep numbers by 17%. Poor profits and uncertainty are forcing farmers to cash in their assets. Levels of training of those managing farms have improved but only slightly. Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Defra
484	Prices	In 2006 the average producer price of agricultural products rose by 4.4%, the average price of crop products rose by 9.3%, livestock and livestock products rose by 1.1%, the average price of agricultural inputs rose by 3.5 per cent. Land prices continue to rise in England but have fallen in Wales. Provisional results for Great Britain suggest a fall of 0.5% in average farm rents. Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Defra
483	Farming income 2006	In 2006 Total Income from Farming rose by 10% over the 2005 figure. Agriculture’s share of national gross value added is expected to be about 0.5% and it share of national employment is 1.7% The United Kingdom ranked sixth out of EU Member States in terms of gross value added per fulltime person. Average net farm income for all types of farm in the United Kingdom is expected to be around £20,600 in 2006/07 but with big differences between farm types with cropping farms doubling over 2005/2006 levels and dairy and poultry farms going down by 20%. Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Defra
482	Key Event in 2006	Defra’s key events in 2006 include a rise in farm incomes, problems with the Single Payment Scheme and the end of the Over Thirty Month Scheme which removed older cattle from the market – one of the last vestiges of the BSE outbreak in the nineties. It also includes the incorporation of sugar support in the SPS, WTO negotiations, and David Miliband’s big idea – ‘One Planet Farming’, Agriculture in the United Kingdom, Defra
481	Livestock numbers falling	Dairy cow numbers have fallen by almost 20% since 1997, beef cows by 13%, breeding ewes by 25% and breeding pigs by 43%. However the reduction in numbers generally has not been as high as expected over the past year and breeding pig numbers have risen. Defra Livestock Survey
480	Tourism-opportunity to spend	Growth in wildlife and heritage tourism has led to the emergence of a new sector in the rural economy. Increasingly conservation bodies are managers of farms, garden centres, cafés, shops, visitor centres, car parks and other visitor facilities which can impact on local economies in a dramatic way if they sell products of local character which themselves can become a distinctive part of the tourism experience. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
479	Home-based working	Home-based working is becoming increasingly important for social and economic stability in rural communities by raising local prosperity, inhabiting communities around the clock and through the year, reducing commuting, increasing community inter-trading and improving people’s work-life balance. One of the challenges is to develop a policy climate that enables home-based business support and works with the grain of emerging work practices. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
478	Rural Needs	A longer than usual briefing but hopefully you will get a chance this weekend to sit out with a glass of wine to check it out. It will be revision for some, a good overview for others. Rural needs have to do with poverty of power and place, new forms of destitution, emotions, fractured families and weak family substitutes, damaging consumption, violence and crime. The are diverse and perhaps becoming even more diverse. Some are simply the effects of distance and geography; some are the result of shifting economics and the rising relative costs of providing services in rural areas and some are much more rooted in cultures and behaviours. It is often not specific rural areas that need support and investment but specific groups of people. 'Mapping Rural Needs’, The Young Foundation
477	Entrepreneurising farmers	Something to make you think -Mike Robinson asks if advice being given to farmers to be more business focussed over-emphasises financial performance. This approach contrasts with the complex multiple objectives which farmers have always practised, and which may prove to be more effective for them and the countryside over the longer-term. Government should not only act more to protect smaller farmers but also to limit the size and power of those who do business with them. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
476	Voluntary modulation and the new Rural Development Programme for England	Farmers in England face cuts in their Single Farm Payments totalling 17% this year rising to 19% from 2009 onwards. 80% of the money raised will go to environmental schemes and the government has agreed to co-finance this at a rate of 40%. The rest will go to wider rural development. Concerns have been expressed that no other country in Europe except Portugal has opted for voluntary modulation.
475	Young people and rural business	Many young people want to stay in rural areas and live and work there but are migrating out or reducing their life aspirations because of inadequate housing, transport, education and social infrastructure. For more of them to stay economic agencies need to work harder to address their needs. With the right understanding of the diversity that lies within them as a group and with appropriate and tailored support and encouragement, entrepreneurship can offer a way of helping young people to stay in rural communities. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
474	Attractions for locating business in rural areas	Rural space is a driver of relocating and new enterprises, a contributor to rural business performance, a bridge between work and life and a marketable commodity. So development agencies should invest to maintain or enhance it as an asset. Sadly there are few examples of this happening. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
473	Rural delivery initiatives	Work with the Warwickshire Rural Hub, a farmer and rural business-led group, indicates that true rural entrepreneurs are born and not made. Nevertheless farmers can be helped to be more innovative and entrepreneurial given confidence from the right business support and the Hub has been driving forward initiatives in food, tourism, bio-energy, non–food crops and waste management. 5th Rural Entrepreneurship Conference, Riseholme Campus, University of Lincoln
472	Think better business	This case study shows how important continuous improvement will be for future farming success. Getting added value, utilising every asset, controlling costs, closer liaison with end users and managing risk will all be key. UK farming has a lot more certainties than other countries and climate change, food miles, energy and environment will all provide future opportunities. Growing opportunities for tomorrow’s farm business, Warwickshire Rural Hub
471	Farm business success	A list of useful to do’s for tomorrow’s farm business people Growing opportunities for tomorrow’s farm business, Warwickshire Rural Hub
470	Summary of RuSource briefings Aug – Dec 2005	RuSource briefings are reviewed regularly and updated where possible. Briefings which are no longer relevant are deleted from the library. This paper provides summaries of briefings published in the second half o