Our common interest in feeding the nation.
What I want to see for Wales’ future is a flourishing farming sector, with farmers producing
more food for the Welsh plate.
All over the world, we are losing farmland every year to flooding and burning, as a result of
the ravages of the climate and nature emergencies. The harsh truth is that if we don’t
change direction, that is where we are eventually heading in Wales too.
What this tells me is that we have a common interest in making sure our farming sector is
protected, through an ambitious response to climate change. The alternative is unthinkable
for the thousands of families across Wales who depend on farming for their livelihoods,
directly or indirectly. This is why our climate and nature goals must be non-negotiable.
Doing what we have done for the last 10, 20, 30 years will simply mean fewer farmers and
their families making their living off the land in Wales in the next decade or two. The
implications of that on our economy, our land, our culture is unimaginable.
Now, I could tell you that because I have relatives who were farmers (which is certainly the
case) or that because I was raised and live now in a semi-rural part of Wales (also the case)
that I understand what it means to face the challenges of farming in a changing world. But
you know that isn’t really true. The only way to know what it is like to farm today, is by being
a farmer.
I am not a farmer, but I am a straight-talker, and a listener.
And the challenge we face today is that not enough of the food our fantastic Welsh farms
produce ends up on Welsh plates. If we are honest with one another, we sometimes struggle
to find common ground on our environmental aims, because we don’t have sufficient
common ground when it comes to growing food.
We talk about the important principle of keeping farmers on the land producing food. That’s
absolutely true of course. But how much more powerful would that principle be if it were
about not just growing, but also about feeding ourselves as a nation too?
As we decide how to spend public money, how much more compelling is the case if that
money is both supporting farmers and feeding Welsh families at the same time?
The first priority of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme is to support
sustainable food production. The objective which has generated most controversy though is
the equally important priority of responding to the climate and nature emergencies. Let’s
develop an ambitious farm to fork policy which better aligns food production with food
consumption in Wales.
Then we will have created a common interest in making sure farming in Wales is able to
withstand the climate ravages which lie ahead – and that will be good for us all.
Jeremy Miles MS is a candidate for Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister
Dear Rachel,
Thank you very much for taking the time to contact me on behalf of the Countryside Alliance.
Wales has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, from coastlines to mountain ranges,
enjoyed and cared for by people across the country. As the son of a Welsh rural vet and Zambian
chicken farmer, I understand the importance of ensuring nature-friendly farming becomes the norm.
Under my leadership, a new Nature Positive Bill must be developed alongside the Sustainable
Farming Scheme which better connects families with affordable, nutritious food. I support the
introduction of a living wage for agricultural workers and have pledged a review of the operation of
the Agricultural Advisory Panel to ensure it is truly independent and has the confidence of unions
and employers.
We would make Wales the leader on animal welfare standards in the UK, by giving RSPCA officers
additional enforcement powers and introduce an outright ban on pets being given as prizes, as many
Welsh Labour local authorities have already done.
My government would set strong statutory targets for the protection and restoration of nature and
include payment for farmers in exchange for public goods. By 2030, 30% of our land and sea would
be protected and we would lead by example in sustainably managing and expanding woodland.
As First Minister, I would strengthen enforcement action to protect our environment, starting with
the creation of a fully functioning environmental governance body, filling the gap left post-Brexit.
The pollution of our rivers and watercourses has been one of the great scandals of the last 14 years
of Tory rule, and we would introduce stricter penalties for those who break environmental rules. We
would also invest to protect communities from flooding, coastal erosion and other impacts of the
climate emergency. We would do all we can to ensure the UK Government works with us –
especially if we have a constructive Labour administration in Westminster – to bring about overdue
action on unsafe coal tips, which are only likely to be made more dangerous by more frequent and
intense storms.
I am meeting Labour Party members from all areas of Wales during this leadership campaign. Welsh
Labour values of equality and fairness have guided me all my life, and they are at the heart of the
vision I set out in my manifesto to be leader of our party.
Yours sincerely, V. Gething
What I want to see for Wales’ future is a flourishing farming sector, with farmers producing
more food for the Welsh plate.
All over the world, we are losing farmland every year to flooding and burning, as a result of
the ravages of the climate and nature emergencies. The harsh truth is that if we don’t
change direction, that is where we are eventually heading in Wales too.
What this tells me is that we have a common interest in making sure our farming sector is
protected, through an ambitious response to climate change. The alternative is unthinkable
for the thousands of families across Wales who depend on farming for their livelihoods,
directly or indirectly. This is why our climate and nature goals must be non-negotiable.
Doing what we have done for the last 10, 20, 30 years will simply mean fewer farmers and
their families making their living off the land in Wales in the next decade or two. The
implications of that on our economy, our land, our culture is unimaginable.
Now, I could tell you that because I have relatives who were farmers (which is certainly the
case) or that because I was raised and live now in a semi-rural part of Wales (also the case)
that I understand what it means to face the challenges of farming in a changing world. But
you know that isn’t really true. The only way to know what it is like to farm today, is by being
a farmer.
I am not a farmer, but I am a straight-talker, and a listener.
And the challenge we face today is that not enough of the food our fantastic Welsh farms
produce ends up on Welsh plates. If we are honest with one another, we sometimes struggle
to find common ground on our environmental aims, because we don’t have sufficient
common ground when it comes to growing food.
We talk about the important principle of keeping farmers on the land producing food. That’s
absolutely true of course. But how much more powerful would that principle be if it were
about not just growing, but also about feeding ourselves as a nation too?
As we decide how to spend public money, how much more compelling is the case if that
money is both supporting farmers and feeding Welsh families at the same time?
The first priority of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme is to support
sustainable food production. The objective which has generated most controversy though is
the equally important priority of responding to the climate and nature emergencies. Let’s
develop an ambitious farm to fork policy which better aligns food production with food
consumption in Wales.
Then we will have created a common interest in making sure farming in Wales is able to
withstand the climate ravages which lie ahead – and that will be good for us all.
Jeremy Miles MS is a candidate for Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister
Dear Rachel,
Thank you very much for taking the time to contact me on behalf of the Countryside Alliance.
Wales has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, from coastlines to mountain ranges,
enjoyed and cared for by people across the country. As the son of a Welsh rural vet and Zambian
chicken farmer, I understand the importance of ensuring nature-friendly farming becomes the norm.
Under my leadership, a new Nature Positive Bill must be developed alongside the Sustainable
Farming Scheme which better connects families with affordable, nutritious food. I support the
introduction of a living wage for agricultural workers and have pledged a review of the operation of
the Agricultural Advisory Panel to ensure it is truly independent and has the confidence of unions
and employers.
We would make Wales the leader on animal welfare standards in the UK, by giving RSPCA officers
additional enforcement powers and introduce an outright ban on pets being given as prizes, as many
Welsh Labour local authorities have already done.
My government would set strong statutory targets for the protection and restoration of nature and
include payment for farmers in exchange for public goods. By 2030, 30% of our land and sea would
be protected and we would lead by example in sustainably managing and expanding woodland.
As First Minister, I would strengthen enforcement action to protect our environment, starting with
the creation of a fully functioning environmental governance body, filling the gap left post-Brexit.
The pollution of our rivers and watercourses has been one of the great scandals of the last 14 years
of Tory rule, and we would introduce stricter penalties for those who break environmental rules. We
would also invest to protect communities from flooding, coastal erosion and other impacts of the
climate emergency. We would do all we can to ensure the UK Government works with us –
especially if we have a constructive Labour administration in Westminster – to bring about overdue
action on unsafe coal tips, which are only likely to be made more dangerous by more frequent and
intense storms.
I am meeting Labour Party members from all areas of Wales during this leadership campaign. Welsh
Labour values of equality and fairness have guided me all my life, and they are at the heart of the
vision I set out in my manifesto to be leader of our party.
Yours sincerely, V. Gething
