Green agricultural policy could help Welsh farmers

20 July 2009

Welsh farmers are losing out to a global factory farming system that is destroying rainforests and contributing to climate change, according to a leading environmental group.

In the week that all things agricultural are celebrated at the Royal Welsh Show, Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling on the Welsh Assembly to back its campaign to 'Fix the Food Chain' - and give Welsh farmers a better deal.

The green group has sent members of the Assembly's Rural Affairs Committee a copy of its 'What's Feeding Our Food' report. The report highlights the link between EU subsidies of large-scale intensive farming, and the soaring demand for the soy animal feed grown on plantations created by clearing South American rainforest.

Friends of the Earth's new Fix the Food Chain campaign is calling for a far-reaching reform of food and agricultural policy - shifting subsidies from intensive factory farms to sustainable farming, increasing the amount of local food used in public sector contracts, and tackling the low prices supermarkets pay farmers.

Haf Elgar, Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner, said:

"The meat and dairy industry is completely skewed in favour of large-scale intensive farming - and small farms in Wales are paying the price.

"Yet with a high proportion of small farms and upland areas, Wales could lead the way in planet-friendly farming and high-quality local food production.

"Intensive farming contributes more to climate change than all the planes, cars and lorries on the planet. If we're serious about tackling climate change, taxpayers' money should be helping Welsh farmers with the sustainable farming they can do so well, and not giving hand-outs to big business factory farms.

"Our campaign is also calling for public sector contracts to use more local food - Welsh schools, hospitals, councils and prisons should be doing their best to buy produce from Welsh farmers. And a new 'supermarket ombudsman' could make sure farmers get a fair deal.

"We want the Welsh Assembly and UK Governments to support planet-friendly farming that will ensure both good food and thriving farms."

NOTES

[1] For more information on the environmental and social impacts of the meat and dairy industry, see Friends of the Earth's report, 'What's feeding our food?'

For further information please contact Friends of the Earth Cymru on 029 2022 9577