This is a summary of an interesting talk given by a guest
at one of our normal lunchtime or evening meetings
StandingupfortheRuralCommunity:Aforceforgood
27September2016,speakingtotheRotaryClubofCambridge,atour
weeklylunchmeeting,TimBreitmeyeroftheCountrysideLandand
BusinessAssociation[theCLA}gaveusaclearinsightintothe
Countryside’sroleforourNation;business,jobs,profit,andsecurity.
Heshowedthatthepoliticians,inthemain,areunawareofthis
powerhousethatistickingawayandcoulddosomuchmore.
Currenthistoryconfirmsthis;acrosstheWorld,miraculouscrops,
harvests,andadramaticdropinfaminesareunderpinning
prosperity.
AndinEnglandtheCLArepresents33,000members,helpingwith
advice,andlobbyingwithclearfourpointpamphlets.Theiremphasis
isonthebalancesheet,butalsoonreleasingthefullpotentialthatis
athand.
Itwasnotalwaysso.
Before1485[BattleofBosworthRichardIIIlosingtoHenryVII]
agriculturewasratherremoteanddull.Cropyieldshaddeclined
continuallyforathousandyears.Thepriceofwoolwaslow.The
countryfolkhadlessandlesstospend.
Butthenthegroundshook.HenryVIIdoubledthesalepriceofwool;
hissonsoldhalftheNation’sland[stolenfromtheMonasteries]to
thousandsoflocalbusinessmen.JethroTullinventedtheseeddrill.
TurnipTownsendpromotedwintercrops,manuring,cattlebreeding.
..andGeorgeIII[FarmerGeorge],mademodernfarmingamatterof
fashion.
Result;wealth,stability,andjobs,butalsogenerationsofintense
hardwork,whichreachedoutacrosstheland.Therewassharp
practice[theenclosures],butalsoinnovationandsupportfornew
ventures,outofwhichmoreindustrygrew.Itistheagricultural
revolutionanditisthosethousandsofenterprisingfarmersthatthe
CLArepresenttoday.
BycontrasttheFrenchfarmingyieldsofthe1780sremainedlow.
Their7yearleasescomparedbadlytoour100yearleases.Theirfood
shortagesledtofoodriotsandin1789pavedthewaytorevolution.
ButEnglishfarminghasnotalwaysprospered.Inthe1840s
AmericanwheatwasbetterandcheaperthanEnglishcrops.Inthe
1880s,refrigeratorshipsbroughtfreshmeatfromasfarafieldas
ArgentinaandNewZealand.Theboomdaysofagriculturewereover,
andlandpricescollapsed.
WWIIwasashock,withGermansubmarinesalmoststarvingustoa
standstill.So,inpeace,theGovernmentfoundwaysofsupportingour
farmers,whilecontinuingtobenefitfromWorldprices.
In1973thischanged.WiththeEuropeanCommonAgricultural
Policy[CAP],foodpricesincreasedbehindtradebarriers.The
farmersbenefitted,butthecostoffoodrosetotwicethatofWorld
prices.
SotheCLArepresentahealthyandsuccessfulruralcommunity,
whichusesit’swealthtoenhanceanddiversifyourcountryside.
Thereisthecustodialcareoftheland,withhundredsofecological
niches,andhabitats.Therearethescrutinyonlanduse,andit’s
effectsonflooding.Therearetheideasonnewmarshlands,bird
reservesetc;andnewlandusessuchaswindfarms,andvoltaicsolar
parks.
Therearealsodetailedissuesonfarmtenanciesvstherighttobuy,
plusapro-activeattitudetowardsruralentrepreneurialstart-ups,
housingandindustry.TheCLAhassomuchtoofferourcountryin
termsofstability,jobs,initiative,andopportunity.Mentionwasmade
oftheneedsforgoodwebsupport,andconnectivity,whichtheCLA
havelobbiedfor.Indeedtheclarityoftheiradviceandleadership
wasseenintwooftheirpublications[Newopportunities,and
Standingupforruralbusinesses]
Inconclusion,theruralcommunityisavastinterconnectingsource
ofjobsandsupporttotherestofBritain.Itisdynamic,selfsustaining,andofenormousbenefittoourNation.TheCLAisagreat
ambassadorandnegotiatorforthisvibrantsectionofoureconomy.
JoshuaVanneck