The National Farmers Union president on bringing food back to the debating table.
I’M not your average NFU president,’ says Minette Batters, ‘although I probably mirror much of the membership.’ She’s referring to the size of her farm—300 acres—and the fact that it’s a tenancy, but then these are far from average times in either agriculture or politics.
We’re talking in the light, bright kitchen of her Wiltshire farmhouse, five days before Michael Gove’s unveiling of the Agriculture Bill, when she can be heard sharing the Today studio with the Defra Secretary. Brexit has propelled the agriculture industry to the forefront of political debate and that, combined with Mrs Batters’ charisma as the farming body’s first female president in 110 years and her refreshingly punchy way of talking, means she’s become the go-to opinion provider.
‘It’s an incredibly important moment [for farming], but an exciting one as well—the harsh realities will probably be in five or six years’ time,’ she warns. ‘And it’s a time for opportunity and vision, as we won’t deliver anything on the back of begging-bowl messages.
‘Farming and food haven’t been on the political agenda for a while. We’re about 20 years on from things like BSE or foot-and-mouth, which could end a ministerial career overnight. We have the Food Standards Agency and the responsibility has been off ministers.
‘Since we’ve been in Europe, we’ve shored up food security and, in the meantime, the major retailers have been allowed to run the show. Government needs a far better understanding of the food chain. We’ve taken food for granted and it’s time to change the agenda. You can’t compare it with something like coal— everyone has to eat.’
Denne historien er fra September 26, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 26, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Happiness in small things
Putting life into perspective and forces of nature in farming
Colour vision
In an eye-baffling arrangement of geometric shapes, a sinister-looking clown and a little girl, Test Card F is one of television’s most enduring images, says Rob Crossan
'Without fever there is no creation'
Three of the top 10 operas performed worldwide are by the emotionally volatile Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who died a century ago. Henrietta Bredin explains how his colourful life influenced his melodramatic plot lines
The colour revolution
Toxic, dull or fast-fading pigments had long made it tricky for artists to paint verdant scenes, but the 19th century ushered in a viridescent explosion of waterlili
Bullace for you
The distinction between plums, damsons and bullaces is sweetly subtle, boiling down to flavour and aesthetics, but don’t eat the stones, warns John Wright
Lights, camera, action!
Three remarkable country houses, two of which have links to the film industry, the other the setting for a top-class croquet tournament, are anything but ordinary
I was on fire for you, where did you go?
In Iceland, a land with no monks or monkeys, our correspondent attempts to master the art of fishing light’ for Salmo salar, by stroking the creases and dimples of the Midfjardara river like the features of a loved one
Bravery bevond belief
A teenager on his gap year who saved a boy and his father from being savaged by a crocodile is one of a host of heroic acts celebrated in a book to mark the 250th anniversary of the Royal Humane Society, says its author Rupert Uloth
Let's get to the bottom of this
Discovering a well on your property can be viewed as a blessing or a curse, but all's well that ends well, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee, as she examines the benefits of a personal water supply
Sing on, sweet bird
An essential component of our emotional relationship with the landscape, the mellifluous song of a thrush shapes the very foundation of human happiness, notes Mark Cocker, as he takes a closer look at this diverse family of birds