Peoples Republic of South Devon

Fit for purpose

May 22nd, 2008

Agriculture can be a bit of a hot potato, in more ways than one, which is why a group of experts got together at the stannary stump of Exeter University’s Centre for Rural Policy and Research to discuss “Is Devon’s Agriculture Fit for Purpose?” And here’s what they told us.

“The jury consisted of key stakeholders including Devon County Council, Clinton Devon Estates, Small Farms Association, Duchy College and Churches Together in Devon. They heard evidence from five expert witnesses drawn from the county’s land management, environmental and research communities who had 15 minutes to present their evidence and then be questioned by the jury.

“It is known that agriculture is a major contributor to national emissions of methane and nitrous oxide, both powerful green house gases (GHGs). There are a wide range of actions that potentially can be taken to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture and it is against this background that the jury considered Devon’s current ability to face the challenges posed by climate change.

“The first witness to present evidence was Dr Dave Chadwick, a senior research scientist from North Wyke Research, who gave an overview of the issues pertaining to methane and nitrous oxide emissions. He identified examples of best practice such as not exceeding crop requirements for Nitrogen; spreading manure at appropriate times and conditions; and establishing permanent grass and woodlands.

“Paul Gompertz, director of Devon Wildlife Trust gave his personal perspective on the issue that Devon’s agriculture was not fit for purpose, arguing that Devon’s agriculture cannot be thought of in isolation and there was a need to do more than just produce food from the land. There was also a need to transform food production and distribution systems.

“A University of Exeter employee based at Riverford Organic Vegetables, Mark Howard, argued for a no confidence verdict, pointing out that agriculture needs to reduce its dependency on oil as current farming and food industry practices were essentially converting fossil fuels into food. This could be changed by the use of organic production systems, addressing food distribution networks, minimising food importation and expanding the use of renewable energy. In response to a question from the jury he agreed that reducing the estimated 30% of food ‘wasted’ in the home would make a contribution to reducing GHG emissions and agreed that Devon farmers had a role to play in educating consumers.

“The regional director of the NFU, Mel Hall argued that there were more positive than negative opportunities by having a more diverse industry; biofuels, Rural Development programme funding, local scale solutions for farming and flood management to name only a few. The key issue is about being prepared and knowing what the food the industry needs to do to respond to new challenges. She advised that farmers can adapt but will need assistance in responding to the climate change agenda. It was noted that farmers in the uplands face particular difficulties in adapting given their current precarious economic position.

“The final witness of the day was Mark Robins, RSPB regional policy officer and chair of the Regional Environment Network. He argued that chances for biodiversity, in particular farmland birds ability to adapt to the rapid shift in climate change were slim. He felt that the case for the cultural and symbolic strength of farming in Devon meant that farming should be at the heart of finding solutions to the climate change challenge. It was not something that could be left for the government and agricultural policy but required mobilisation of Devon’s communities, environmentalists, farmers and consumers.

“The verdict from the Jury was that “We believe that Devon’s farming is fit for purpose today. In terms of the future, the jury is out”. The Jury made the observations and recommendations that there is a need for a strategic overview of the county and improved understanding of land use planning. There is a need to develop likely scenarios of future change and build a strategy around these. The jury had some concerns about science and research and development, recognising that it is a national issue but were concerned to ensure that the county and the farming industry were linked in to sound research and science. This would help inform the industry to make the changes that are necessary. Finally, more active market place experiments were necessary as this would be the only way to find out if farming is fit for purpose by testing the theories.

“Dr Matt Lobley, Centre for Rural Policy and Research was encouraged by the jury process developed in conjunction with the County Council, he said ‘The jury represented a range of key stake holders and high powered opinion formers who all agreed on the verdict and backed the outcome in a short period of time. This endorsement will assist in influencing decisions made across the county as the organisations who can make a difference all have a shared understanding of the issues.

“He added, It was a great way to canvas opinion and the expertise of a large group of people. The recommendations will go to the Devon Rural Network who can give a steer of the type of priorities for the future and it is hoped that this will influence decisions made across the county. ‘

“The jury concept as a means of tackling complex subjects has been trialled by the government with the citizen jury.”

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Entry Filed under: Environment, Society