THE FUTURE OF FARMING ON THE SOUTH DOWNS
Farming is undergoing its worst crisis since the 1930’s with many farmers “on the floor” and, in some parts of England, food production could become a thing of the past. This is threatening the highly valued chalk grasslands of the South Downs which will turn into scrub if there are too few sheep and cattle to graze them properly.
These were the stark messages coming out of the recent South Downs Society conference on The Future of Farming on The South Downs.
“These dramatic and potentially damaging changes are due to the reform of the European Common Agricultural policy and globalisation of food manufacture and supply”, says Society spokesperson Hugh Passmore, “ both are putting tremendous pressure on local farmers and the South Downs Society wants to do something to help”
The conference brought together farmers and specialists to look at the way farming could prosper in the future and how this could best be managed to enhance the quality of the precious South Downs landscape – currently being considered for National Park status.
The positive message coming out of the conference was that successful South Downs farmers of the future will be a new breed of entrepreneurs, farming for the benefit of the environment, tuned in to the needs of local markets for quality and choice and in touch with their customers.
“These are all traditional agricultural and countryside skills that are gradually being lost and they need to be rediscovered and encouraged if farming is to prosper again. The Society certainly aims to play its part in making this possible”
The conference also heard plans for preparing the next generation of farmers to meet this challenge through better all round management training, including technical and business skills.