"THE future of the British Countryside" was the title of an excellent meeting held by Women Working Together, ie WFU, WI and TG on September 11 in a packed Clyst St Mary village hall. We had an interesting and thought provoking day.

David Fursdon, national president of the Countryland and Business Association spoke, first, pointing out that the interaction between man and geography has shaped the countryside as it is today - woodland is gradually depleting.

Essentially, the countryside is for food production to feed an increasing urban population, but we are thwarted by poor marketing of produce keeping our prices down. Also development of buildings and landscape has been fossilised by planners and often priced out of reach of locals. Salcombe in Devon has more second homes than anywhere in the country.

We have to contend with non-understanding by Defra eg NVZs, impossible slurry spreading dates, right of way, etc. Environmental care and biodiversification can be done, but it has to make a profit.

Defra is planning a different department of planning. The government is determined to push the cost of animal diseases onto farmers and to increase regulations. One in four in the UK are employed by the government.

Farmers are crucial to the future of the countryside and also to the future of the country and we need to use politicians cleverly and well.

Henry Fell, chairman of The Commercial Farmers group followed, asking do we really need to produce more food, saying that subsidies do more harm than good, creating a dependency culture. There is no change in basic government /opposition policy and no depth for insight on prudence in policies. Also we have no minister for agriculture.

UK indigenous food production is now less than 70% and the number of active farmers is falling and their average age is over 60. Where are the replacements?

The industry is close to a critical break and capital and most of all, skills, will be lost.

Countryside care is going by the board, never mind environmental regulations. Bracken, ragwort, thistles and nettles have replaced the well grazed fields. Do you like rambling through long grass full of weeds? Capital investment is falling fast. There is very little scope for diversification.

Commercial farming must become much more ruthlessly cost effective or go out of business. Large scale farming is becoming the norm outside the hobby farming areas. Not quite the rosy picture that is painted.

Prospects for global food supplies are bleak. The global population of 2.3 billion in 1945 increased to 6.3 billion by 2005, an increase of 275% in 50 years.

A UN median projection gives an increase to 9.3 billion by 2050, an increase of only 50%. The alternatives to producing more food for this population will be famine, war and migration.

China and India are in an industrial revolution and the diet is changing from a cereal base to a white meat base. As population goes up by 50%, cereal needs will have to go up by 100%.

Global food stocks are now at their lowest for 25 years. In the 1960s and 70s this threat was met by global average yields increasing by no less than 240% thanks to scientific plant breeding, the use of nitrogen fertiliser and the use of irrigated water, which increased by 220%.

The world is running out of fresh water. Two-fifths of food production comes from irrigated land. Population growth is outstripping the growth of irrigated land.

Feeding the extra three billion people will largely depend on the use of crop land - already in limited supply - and water will be essential.

Seventy per cent of China's grain crop grows on irrigated land - compared with 15% in the USA. This is also true of India, Egypt and California. Many of these countries will become major importers rather than exporters.

Demand for bio-fuels - global food production will be significantly affected. Any one acre can only grow one crop at any one time.

"Hunger sows the seeds of conflict - scarce food, water and land lead to environmental damage, poverty, conflict and migration. Improved agriculture is a powerful and effective means of promoting peace. Where food is plentiful hunger driven conflicts and civil unrest are less likely," say the UK department for international development Henry asked us to consider and meditate on - very seriously, the following: "Are we in the UK, playing our part, or even looking after our own interests by going down the wild flower' route with fields becoming infested with nettles, ragwort, thistles and bracken; by allowing ourselves to be dominated by the anti-science culture?"

I find it very difficult to believe. Attempting to stop global warming with the Kyoto protocol is as useless as King Canute commanding the tides to cease and people don't want to live in reality.

Ionwen Lewis, national president of WFU spoke after lunch and asked who is to blame for the state of the countryside? She gave many possible suggestions. She emphasised that we must reconnect producers with the consumers. There is now too much choice for consumers and only 17.5% of the pay packet is needed for the food each week. Only 63% of food is produced in the UK.

Farmers are the endangered species, not foxes and badgers. Farmers need a fair trade for their products and they need the support of consumers to continue farming.

Barrie Williams our Patron summed up an excellent trio of speakers.

Our next WFU meeting is at Anne Cork's home, New Court Barton, Clyst Road, Topsham on Friday, September 28 at 10.30am. There will be a coffee morning and a bring-and-buy sale. For directions telephone 01392 873176.

The Devon WFU annual general meeting will be held on October 8 at 10.30am for 11am in Clyst St George Village Hall. Jane Davey will tell us about Farming in Norway.

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