The excellent points that George Monbiot makes are undermined by his narrative, which sets farmers against environmentalists (There are solutions to the food crisis. But ploughing up Britain isn’t one of them, 16 March).
At best, he risks dividing those who would otherwise be allies and putting them into falsely opposing positions. At worst, it is a dangerous distraction while Nigel Farage et al, and the opaque sources of funding behind them, rush to undercut the hard-won progress for climate and nature, health and equity. Of course, we must manage the risk to food security as well as tackle the nature, climate and health crises.
It is progressive farmers who are doing the real work in changing farming and food systems, by shifting to agroecological and regenerative practices. Agroecology, which allows for rewilding some agricultural land, removes overreliance on fossil fuels, synthetic chemicals and animal feeds. It is a growing movement that could build a fairer, more sustainable food system. Farmers – if given the right policy and market signals – have huge potential to be a force for change.
The Ukraine war is the latest episode in a future of increasing geopolitical and ecological instability, characterised by competition for power and resources. Rather than polarising populism, we need collaboration, imagination, and the courage to find common purpose to tackle the challenges ahead that Monbiot so eloquently describes.
Sue Pritchard
Chief executive, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
