I suppose you could say my interest in organics and the ethics of food goes back to when I was a child. I remember the enormous pleasure I had from growing my own vegetables in the garden at Buckingham Palace and from being in the countryside. But as I grew older and became a teenager I remember feeling deeply about what seemed to me to be the brutal and unnecessary destruction of such a vast proportion of this country's ancient, species-rich habitats and landscapes; its hedgerows and trees; the historic centres and towns and cities.
In the Seventies and Eighties, farmers were actively encouraged by fiscal and other measures to become as efficient as possible and, through no fault of their own, this had pretty devastating consequences - hedges ripped up, ancient meadows destroyed. Agriculture turned into agri-industry and we were no longer working with Nature but against her. Even then, I did not think using ever more artificial means to increase yields could possibly be sustainable in the long term - it was doing too much damage to the natural resource - the soil - on which we depend for our food. And I was concerned about how farm animals were treated - literally as mechanical objects in an industrialised system. I believed there had to be an alternative way of tending the earth.
Just think of the word 'agriculture' - it says it all. It is about a culture, about stewardship, about long-term management of a precious natural resource. It is about communities, local identity, ways of life that transcend mere 'efficiency' and become a form of art in themselves.
Our countryside didn't happen overnight or by magic, it has been tended and managed by farmers and landowners over hundreds of years. Their skills have been built up throughout the generations and the farmers themselves are a unique part of our heritage and culture. It is vital that we do all we can to support them. And we must remember that our rural landscapes are not the result of some experiment that can be recreated in a test tube one day if we ever want them back. Once we lose these people and their skills, they have gone forever. That is not something that I am prepared to let happen.
But farming matters for another reason. It is vitally important in terms of food security in an ever more insecure world. Climate change is going to increase the need for us all to operate at a more local level, and this provides opportunities for farmers. Instead of trying to compete in the global commodity markets, we can focus first on producing quality food for ourselves - and in this uncertain world there is much to be said for every country recovering greater control over its own food strategies, with the added benefit of reducing food miles. Perhaps what we need is a new farming model whereby farmers collaborate not just in the production of food, but also in the production of energy to supply their local community. And while people talk now of putting a price on carbon, let us remember agriculture's extensive and valuable ecosystem services, including properly managed water catchments and the ability of land to store carbon.
I am enormously encouraged by the increasing interest in quality food, where it comes from and how it is produced. Certainly, when I started talking about organic farming and sustainable production some 25 years ago some people seemed to think it very odd, but I think more people now are beginning to understand what I was trying to say. The growth in the organic-food market suggests that many consumers are minding much more about where their food comes from. Producers and retailers are increasingly responding to the demands of their customers, who should not underestimate how effective their purchasing decisions can be.
And I will continue to advocate mutton. Not only is it irresistibly delicious, but I feel deeply that we need to do everything we can to help the upland sheep farmers, who are facing untold difficulties at the moment. They received a devastating blow from the restrictions which followed the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and then bluetongue. Choosing to serve mutton also encourages the preservation of rare, native breeds of sheep as it is our traditional varieties, such as Southdown, Welsh Mountain and Hebridean, that are best suited to its production. I can tell you that, whenever I serve it, which I do often, there is never anything left on the plates!
We also need to instil in children a lifelong appreciation of food and an understanding of how it is produced. The Year of Food and Farming, of which I am patron, is a campaign to help children find out more about the countryside, not least by taking them on to farms to see what it is all about for themselves. But schools themselves have an important role to play. I have long been a supporter of school farms, many of which have been shut down throughout the UK, but which give children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to experience caring for animals and growing food for themselves as part of the curriculum. I appreciate that this is not possible for every school, but it is possible for every school to give children the opportunity to grow a few vegetables. Even a window box is enough, but just think what a difference it would make if some of that ubiquitous black Tarmac around schools was turned into productive growing areas ...
www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk
