The guest columnist in today's Daily Post, Emyr Jones, President of the Farmers Union of Wales make a case against the proposed changes to the common agricultural policy. He somehow tries to link the proposed changes to "heartbreaking images of starving population in far off regions of Africa and Asia"
Let us be clear, the answer to world hunger is not the number of sheep we have in Wales, nor the price of milk. No it will be down to how we can develop new strains of the basic food stuffs, such as grain or rice, that can be grown in the harsh conditions of Africa or Asia, so that the peoples of those continents are self sufficient.
In a way CAP subsidises, a by-product of the Second World War, has made the situation worse, in that third world countries can never hope to compete against subsidised food from Europe.
Yes to feed the growing population of the world we need produce more basic foods, but it should not be at the cost of the environment, or otherwise we might as well cut down the whole South America rain forest to produce cheap beef for our hamburgers.
The real answer GM food, local production with an emphasis on production of essential foods such as grain and rice. And that means using our resources carefully, which makes sense that certain parts of Wales are taken out of food production, and payment be made for preserving it's beauty and contribution to the wildlife of the area.
After all extensive farming with all it entails isn't really helping the environment, and it's a cyclic argument, we need to produce more food, cause the way we produce food is damaging the environment.
And the likely food shortage has nothing to do with farmers planting crops that will maximise bio-fuel profits has it.
Sorry farmers of Wales, cant make any money from farming - my suggestion get another job.
Let us be clear, the answer to world hunger is not the number of sheep we have in Wales, nor the price of milk. No it will be down to how we can develop new strains of the basic food stuffs, such as grain or rice, that can be grown in the harsh conditions of Africa or Asia, so that the peoples of those continents are self sufficient.
In a way CAP subsidises, a by-product of the Second World War, has made the situation worse, in that third world countries can never hope to compete against subsidised food from Europe.
Yes to feed the growing population of the world we need produce more basic foods, but it should not be at the cost of the environment, or otherwise we might as well cut down the whole South America rain forest to produce cheap beef for our hamburgers.
The real answer GM food, local production with an emphasis on production of essential foods such as grain and rice. And that means using our resources carefully, which makes sense that certain parts of Wales are taken out of food production, and payment be made for preserving it's beauty and contribution to the wildlife of the area.
After all extensive farming with all it entails isn't really helping the environment, and it's a cyclic argument, we need to produce more food, cause the way we produce food is damaging the environment.
And the likely food shortage has nothing to do with farmers planting crops that will maximise bio-fuel profits has it.
Sorry farmers of Wales, cant make any money from farming - my suggestion get another job.
1 comment:
I read (Beeb) that sheep and lamb prices are hitting new highs as the global demand for meat ramps up, so upland farming in Wales is becoming profitable again and recently the EU decided to keep the CAP 'pay by acreage' subsidy going till 2030 (source - Private Eye - 'Agri-Brigade').
Our countryside environment is the consequence of our farming and forestry practices over the last few hundred years ... if we weren't eating cattle, sheep and pigs they would probably be found only in zoo's ... and the Welsh mountains would be once again covered in trees.
You are so right about being aware of the environmental consequences of our farming practices ... however when money talks it drowns out the voices of moral and environmental sensibility ...
What I don't want is more 'Big Whoppers' with lots of 'Cheese' and 'Salted-Away Fries' to go ...
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