Will we be saying...
"In the early years of the 21st Century the crisis in agriculture deepened.
Farm profitability slumped and although few farmers were able to remain
in business, a new spirit of co-operation amongst them emerged. Gone
was the myopic preoccupation with their neighbors' activities, farmers
had begun to think "global" and see that the real competition came from
producers abroad.
In 2008 the merging of nearly all the existing political and co-operative organisations into the Confederation of UK Agriculture marked a turning point in the fortunes of farmers. Buying power coupled with a real market presence (nationally at least) provided the first return to profitability in nearly a decade. Farmers responded with a plethora of new conservation initiatives that consolidated past work and caught the public's eye. Even the skeptical PM was moved to note that agriculture was now providing "public goods" on a broad scale.
In 2015 the Confederation of UK Agriculture opened its first supermarket simultaneous with 100 new corner shops. Food produce of UK origin whether from organic or integrated systems was proudly displayed. "Local" in the UK sense was the new champion.
In 2020 the Confederation of UK Agriculture announced that continued vertical integration from production to retail had allowed UK farmers to generate sufficient profit that members would voluntarily no longer accept subsidies from the EEC. When in the same year TV's latest game show winner announced that her prize of a lifetime of education fees would be going towards an education in agriculture, farmers knew they were back!
Population:
60 million.
Crops:
Food crops are now complemented by energy crops that contribute to the
nation's fuel requirements in a carbon neutral way. Specific lo-impact
pesticides, high tech spraying systems and GM crops are adopted - smart
farming is technology driven.
Livestock:
Sheep, beef and dairy products all providing smart technology instant
online traceability through the "know your farmer" initiative.
Farming systems:
Integrated smart farming systems accounting for the majority of "commodity"
production with organic and local production systems representing 15%
of overall output.
Woodland and hedges:
16% woodland cover with increasing hedgerow length in a countryside
clearly integrated with agricultural production, conservation and urban
living finding new balance.
Social economy:
The world's first fully internationalised urban market economy that
has found a place for a modern agriculture as the custodian of its precious
rural landscape.
Climate:
"The hottest ever" but still 2° cooler than the bronze age to name but
one brief and recent period of time
User comments - post a comment
