By FGP on 10th November 2019
Remembrance Day is a poignant moment to reflect on the supreme efforts of our forebears in the two world wars and other conflicts. Alongside the armed services, the civilian contribution is recognised including the farmers.
The fundamental importance of food production never quite seems to gain the recognition it deserves in peacetime, but the two world wars brought the significance home. In 1914 the United Kingdom imported 60% of its total food supply and 80% of its wheat. When the supply lines through Europe were cut off and the infant U Boat threat started to bite on Atlantic merchant shipping, action on the home front was urgently needed. The Ministry of Food was created in 1916 as a forerunner to the Ministry of Agriculture. Unfortunately, by the second world war the lessons had not been learnt and British Agriculture was barely more productive with low prices offering little incentive to the growers.
Initially, the second world war was bad for farmers as exports dried up and the Battle of the Atlantic raged; in the region of 80,000 seamen died trying to bring in vital imports. As imported food was reduced in quantity by 75%, rationing was introduced but farm commodity prices began to rise. The shortage of farm labour was met by the heroic efforts of the Womans Land Army (WLA), a grouping that had started in 1917. An “army” of woman farm labourers who met the challenges of unfamiliar farm work and continued until 1953. Production was also aided with the introduction of a new fertiliser, nitro chalk, affectionately known as “Artificial”.
After 1945 recognition was at last given to the vital importance of home food production. In a reaction to the privations of the Second World War the Agriculture Act 1947 was introduced, aimed at food security to reduce the risk of a hostile foreign power being able to starve the UK into submission. The Act guaranteed prices, markets and tenure, so that a farmer could be assured that whatever he grew would be sold at a known price. The 1947 Act was the first of many farming related acts and the industry saw massive advances in plant breeding, agricultural research and mechanization. In 1945 UK farmers had wheat yields under 2.5 tonnes per hectare compared to today’s yields of over 8 tonnes per hectare.
During the 1970’s, Britain entered the European Economic Community (EEC), the system of price support changed from deficiency payments to protection and intervention payments. The successor system is currently the Basic Payment System still aimed at supporting a proportion of home grown food. The importance is not only derived from what we hope is a diminished risk of war but also other risks that could jeopardize food supply. Disease, climate and industrial accidents are also major threats to food security.
So what might the post BREXIT world hold – as with everything else Parliamentary, the relevant Agriculture Bill is on hold. It seems Eligible beneficiaries will continue to receive payments in the short term under the terms of the UK government’s funding guarantee. Ironically, in a “no deal” world the Trans-Atlantic supply lines will be wide open to a flood of imported food that could leave many of our farms struggling and unable to compete. Let’s hope that history’s lessons have been learned and the importance of securing home food production is not forgotten.