One of Britain’s most well-known organic farmers has attacked the NFU over its support for crop chemicals.
Guy Watson, of Devon-based Riverford, has claimed that he feels 'alienated' by the NFU’s “self-righteous lobbying for the short term interests of a small number of large-scale farmers”.
His outburst, which was delivered in a newsletter with thousands of veg boxes sent around the country, specifically attacks the NFU’s policy on pesticides and herbicides.
A spokesperson for the NFU countered Watson's claims, and argued that the union has an organic forum and many organic farming members.
Watson said: “I may be a white, male farmer, fairly well off, and getting on a bit, but I don’t feel represented by the NFU. In fact, I find myself increasingly alienated by their self-righteous lobbying for the short-term interests of a small number of large-scale farmers.
“For 60 years, farming policy in the developed world has been led by the agro-chemical industry; whatever the problem, the solution is to be found in a chemical container. No-one could question that food has become cheaper as a result, but the costs in terms of a devastating loss of biodiversity, where bees and songbirds now thrive better in cities than the countryside, cannot be denied.”
Watson's attack comes on the back of a recent NFU- and chemical company-commissioned report suggesting food prices could rise as a result of restrictions on pesticide and herbicide use.
NFU vice president Guy Smith responded to Watson's claims, and said: “In the NFU’s view, it is absolutely essential that farmers have a full range of crop protection products at their disposal, and that pesticide regulation is risk-based and follows sound science to ensure the farming sector keeps growing and contributing to the £97 billion UK food and drink industry. For this to happen we need government at both UK and EU level to put British food production at the heart of policy-making across all government departments.
“The recent Healthy Harvest report looked at the economic impact of the potential loss of plant protection products on UK agriculture and the wider economy. The implications for the control of weeds, disease and pests in key UK crops would have an impact on the Gross Value Added (GVA) of UK agriculture, including horticulture, which would fall by £1.6bn a year. An assessment of job losses in agricultural wholesale, the supply chain and the wider food and drink industry revealed up to 44,000 jobs could be lost if these active ingredients were no longer available.”
The Riverford organic box scheme began in 1993 when Guy Watson started delivering vegetables locally to 30 friends in Devon.
The firm now delivers around 47,000 boxes a week to homes around the UK from its regional farms.
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