I've only seen the press release so far - but it looks quite encourageing. Hilary Benn has made his speech at Oxford and said this:

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today called on supermarkets and food companies to give shoppers clearer information on where their food comes from.

He made the call as he urged people to "buy more British and eat more British" and stressed that protecting the environment is vital to increasing food production.

Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Hilary Benn said:

"When you buy a car you know its service history. When you buy a house you get a detailed survey. So why do we accept knowing so much less about what we are putting into our bodies?

"Under current European regulations, a pork pie processed in Britain from Danish pork can legitimately be labelled as a British pie.

That's a nonsense and it needs to change."

He said that while the Government was pressing in Europe to improve labelling so that it shows where an animal is born, reared and slaughtered, he planned to meet food industry representatives to discuss how they could "get ahead here by voluntarily introducing country of origin labelling."

Hilary Benn praised the quality and quantity of food produced by British farmers and said that food security was a priority:

"I want British agriculture to produce as much food as possible. No ifs, no buts.

"We could produce more fruit and vegetables here in the UK - the market is there, so what's holding us back? If there's demand then production should follow. So the answer is to buy more British and eat more British."

Mr Benn said that food security was part of a global challenge in which environmental protection and increasing production went hand in hand, saying:

"The idea that protecting our soil, our water, our habitats, our landscape, and the very climate on which all of these depend , and encouraging production, are in competition with each other is to miss the point completely. Why? Because our long-term food security depends on looking after those things.

"It's about looking after the land today to sustain our capacity to produce food tomorrow."

Mr Benn said that British farmers had a key role to play in striking this balance, describing them as "the producers of our food but also the stewards of our land", and offered to sponsor an award for low carbon farming.

He pledged to continue supporting farmers through better regulation and doing "only so much as is necessary". On the subject of EU proposals to restrict the use of certain ingredients in commonly used pesticides, which it is feared could hamper food production, he said:

"No-one can say for sure what their impact will be. That's why I have been arguing against the pesticides regulation which could hit yields by limiting the crops that can successfully be grown in the UK for no recognisable benefit to human health, which I take very seriously."

That's the second time in as many days I've heard Benn say positive, sensible things about British farming. Has he turned over a new leaf for the new year?!

" Hilary Benn makes positive noises at Oxford". .......... From which orifice were these positive noises coming?

But it looks like if you are sat there, the speech didn't sound quite as good.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/01/06/113691/oxford-conference-defra-presses-for-compulsory-environmental-management-on-farms.html

Peter Wells:

" Hilary Benn makes positive noises at Oxford". .......... From which orifice were these positive noises coming?

 

Now, now Peter!

The drop in the value of the pound is starting to work its magic. Cant just import food now can you Hilary.

He his-self:

Can't just import food now can you Hilary.

Well said Hhs!

Anyway wasn't this the same man who three weeks ago, was saying that, "Food security was obtained through assured supply chains and that Britain's farmers should not assume that they had to produce more, in fact that wildlife schemes, that take out capacity would continue to be a focal point of the government's countryside policies."

How can we take seriousely anything this man says?

I haven't yet seen the full speech - but it would be good to compare it with the one that he made last month.

Isabel Davies:

"It's about looking after the land today to sustain our capacity to produce food tomorrow."

There are times when pedantry can be a bore and times when, particularly when listening to politicians, one has to be alert. On this occasion, Benn could have drawn a distinction between capability and capacity. Britain may have land which has the capacity to feed a population of 40 millions but do Britain's farmers have the capability? After all, his is the government which reduces capability by wanting to raise Britain's population to 70 millions, with all the implications of tarmac, concrete etc and, simultaneously impose greater restrictions on farmers which affect their efficiency and effectiveness.

At the same time, he is the man who wants to be free to criticise farmers when they try to get more out of less, and in so doing intensify production methods with the necessary welfare and disease implications for stock, flora and fauna.

The man is a living morass of inconsistency masquerading as a serious politician with lofty ideals and impeccable logic.

I used to hear more sense from the Children's TV characters, Bill and Benn the Flower Pot Men .....  "Lob a Lob."

Here are some soundbites from Johann who is busy beavering away at Oxford. These quotes are all from Hilary Benn.

• Climate change
  "We know that farming can't be zero carbon, but it can be lower carbon."
• CAP health check
  "It was a missed opportunity to go further an example of how vested interests and the distortions which the CAP creates slow the pace of reform."
• Single payments
  "The RPA is doing better and as a result of the change in the value of sterling, those payments will be worth more this year to farmers."
• Pesticides regulation
  "It could hit yields by limiting the crops that can successfully be grown in the UK for no recognisable benefit to human health, which I take very seriously."
• Electronic Identification
  "It may have seemed like a good idea at the time it was originally adopted, but times have changed and the costs now outweigh the benefits."
• Anaerobic digestion
  "A technology that has so much to offer farming and the environment."
• Training and skills
  "The question the industry needs to ask itself is this: Is it being given the priority and urgency it deserves?"
• Food labelling
  "A pork pie made in Britain from Danish pork can legitimately be labelled as a British pork pie. That's a nonsense, and it needs to change."
• Local food
  "I want to see an increase in the amount of local, seasonal British food we buy."
• Pig production
  "Our pig farmers lead the world in terms of welfare and we need to support them. And the best way to do this is to buy their produce."

Well either the lad has detoured via Damascus on the road to Oxford, or else the government has decreed that all ministers should go out of their way to win friends and influence people to provide as much good news as possible to outweigh the bad.

I know which explanation I would favour - but if he has learned anything in his tenure as farming maestro surely it should be that fine words butter no parsnips and whether he will be looking for his reward from St Peter at the pearly gates or from farming voters at the next election it's good deeds that will be counted.

 

Actions speak louder than words and I bet there will not be much action from Hillary even when an election gets nearer

Sorry to keep harping on this subject but the man is a complete Fraud. One can see by his answers he has very little understanding of the Subject and it is with disbelief that he has the gall to try and talk to an Audience with such little Knowledge. The one thing that does seem to come over is that they want production to stop Imports now,well lets all keep output tight ,price up and sod Benn and the rest of the wicked buch.

Well output being tight will not be a problem due to past weather conditions .How many are getting short of crop already ? Price up will follow if its a late spring ,as for Benn roll on the next election

Climate change Well do something rather than talk about it. UK electrical grid capacity needs sorting, just do it. CAP health check Just cant face the reality of how isolated the UK is. Single payments No thanks to you. Pesticides regulation Insanity. Electronic Identification More insanity. Anaerobic digestion Shame all the equipment is German and the grid is inadequate. Training and skills Your policy destroyed hope in the countryside supermarkets rob farmers now you want us to pay for putting it right. Food labelling Heard it all before, nothing is ever done. Local food See above Pig production The one thing I can agree with.

Many have been pushing for clear labels for a long time now and at last Hilary Benn appears to agree BUT will he do anything? I believe there will be more pressure from two TV programmes later this month both on pigs. On  More 4 at 10pm on Tuesday January 20 The Pig Business will  be shown and on Chanel 4  January 29Jamie Oliver is doing pigs in a similar fashion to poultry last year. I believe both programs will be keen on better labelling especially to distinguish high quality high welfare home produced from lower quality imports.

caroline stocks:

That's the second time in as many days I've heard Benn say positive, sensible things about British farming. Has he turned over a new leaf for the new year?!

Perhaps it is the christmas booze that or the mood enhancers that have been slipped in to his food.

Peter Wells:

" Hilary Benn makes positive noises at Oxford". .......... From which orifice were these positive noises coming?

lol I was thinking when I first saw the title that he had said that he was resigning.

its just like gordon brown promising more jobs while putting up national insurance.

lenin promised peace, bread and land for the people.

he killed the farmers , stole the land, and then wondered why there was no bread.

Benn is obviously a disciple.

 Benn's speech at Oxford was an interesting example of tailoring what you say (and what you don't) to suit your audience and what they want to hear.

 He did indeed make lots of positive noises, but as has already been pointed out here (and by some conference delegates), politicians should be judged on what they say, not what they do.

 For example, Benn did indeed say:

"I want British agriculture to produce as much food as possible. No ifs, no buts."

 But he then immediately proceeded to outline a number of ifs and buts, saying:

"The only requirements should be, first, that consumers want what is produced and, second, that the way our food is grown both sustains our environment and safeguards our landscape."

Another example came when he ruled out any re-introduction of set-aside, saying: "I want to be clear... I don't want to reintroduce set-aside."

He then immediately confirmed that the government was examining proposals to "require farmers to farm a small percentage of their land in an environmental way while still allowing production".

So it won't be called set-aside, and indeed it probably won't *be* setaside. But farmers still face measures likely to curtail food output for the sake of the environment.

Finally, the vexed question of bovine TB was completely absent from his speech.

I doubt Benn thought he would get away without mentioning TB and indeed it was an issue brought up during a question by National Beef Association chairman Christopher Thomas-Everard, who criticised the minister for ruling out a badger cull.

Benn's response was that he had promised to make a decision during "his watch" as minister and indeed he had done so. He acknowledged that it wasn't one many farmers agreed with but he said had made it nonetheless using "all the available evidence" and was sticking by it.

So a mixed bag really. The other main thing I noticed was how he looks more and more like his dad the older he gets.

Johann Tasker
Chief reporter
Farmers Weekly

Johann Tasker:

politicians should be judged on what they say, not what they do.

I assume you probably meant the opposite?

 

Here's soem more from Oxford in case you have missed it:

DEFRA presses for compulsory environmental management on farms

DEFRA accused of ignoring Scottish agriculture

Hilary Benn calls for food labelling shake-up

Benn tells Oxford: 'A nonsense that needs to change'

Direct payments will remain part of the CAP

Long-term view suggests higher world commodity prices

Landowners welcome minister's change of heart

I have a friend at the conference and he got the impression that Benns speech was very much what everyone wanted to hear, whilst skillfully avoiding the issues of TB and NVZ's. I guess it will remain to be seen whether or not he actually does something or, as I suspect, is just looking for an easy ride at what could be a very difficult conference for him.

  

 Hilary Benn does not usually tailor a speech to fit a particular audience and far more plain speaking than most politicians (especially when in office). I think I have mentioned here before that I heard two speeches he gave to fringe meetings at the Labour party conference - one to farmers and the other to environmentalists - and it was the same speech.

  

  What is different was the reaction of the respective audiences; whenever environmentalists hear something they find positive they attribute it to the success of their campaigning and it encourages them to do more. It seems from most of the comments thus far that farmers don’t think lobbying politicians ever achieves anything and rather than give a modicum of credit to the efforts of the NFU would rather attribute it to drink or drugs.

 

    It is true that fine words butter no parsnips but if we were all just to wait and see what he does next we are likely to be disappointed. On the other hand if we congratulate him for coming to realise the importance of food production in the UK and outline positive steps he could make to help it could be a happier year.  

 

His departure from office would brighten my year no end.

Tom,

      The only way any member of this Labour Government will understand that food is important is for food to be in short supply.If you remember Brown even called a special meeting when commodity prices went sky high. The NFU may slap its own back but they have achieved very very little for the amount of resources it consumes and they can run around telling all these tales of their Lobbying behind the scenes but that is firstly an defendable as well as an undefinable statement. The real world shows if you achieve or not, sadly the NFU does not reach very high marks in the achievment world.