Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2007/January 2008 | Page 61
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
Over the past twenty seven
years, the livestock farmer
has seen very little change in
the price he receives despite
the cost to the consumer
having more than doubled.
He explained: Supermarkets
and their customers are
currently benefiting from
a strong pound and cheap
foreign imports, produced in
a less regulated environment,
which are keeping prices
artificially low. However,
global demand for farmed
produce is on the rise, with
countries such as China and
India producing a rapid
growth in demand for proteins
as its population increases
and becomes more affluent.
Couple this with the fact that
one of our main competitors
in the red meat sector, New
Zealand, is cutting back on
lamb production and we could
be tempted to say that the
longer term future for the
livestock sector looks exciting.
All this is positive news for
farmers and the countryside.
With an increase in the number
of farm shops offering quality
local produce, coupled with
greater appreciation from
the buying public of what
they are eating and where
and how it was produced, we
are building the foundations
for a road to recovery.
The campaign explains
that grazing livestock is
important for the ecology
and environment of the
countryside, not just the
aesthetics. Alan Titchmarsh
(Wildlife of Britain)
agrees saying “Cattle are
the unsung heroes of the
British Countryside”.
We are rewarded by having
the finest beef and lamb in
the world, because of the
climate, grass they feed on
and the farming skills handed
down through generations,
coupled with the UK animal
welfare standards that are
second to none in the world.
As a consumer you can
help to secure a sustainable
future for Britain's beef and
sheep farmers and therefore
the countryside. Consumers
have a key role to play in
influencing supermarkets, as
no supermarket can ignore the
wishes of its customers. It is
very clear that if we want to
continue the boast that British
Beef and Lamb is the finest
in the world then we have to
support the industry and the
environment that produces it.
One way that you can