Academic slams green confusion
22 February 2001
Academic slams green ‘confusion’
By Isabel Davies
TOO much confusion surrounds the use of environmental payments to transfer money to farmers, claims a leading agricultural economist.
John McInerney, director of agricultural economics at Exeter University, argues that agricultural policy measures must be re-balanced.
“We need sensible payment schemes that farmers can actually respond to,” he told the Sentry conference in Cambridge on Thursday (22 February).
Environmental payments must recognise that the countryside is a public benefit and be paid to farmers accordingly, he told delegates.
Prof McInerney rejected the word support for payments. “I dont like the word support; its actually direct payments for services rendered.”
Speaking at the same conference, Council for the Protection of Rural England director Kate Parminter defended her organisations record.
She told delegates that the CPRE did not want “the fossilisation of the countryside” and recognised that things have to change.
“We are not consumed by nostalgia, but we have a reverence for the countryside and the environment,” she insisted.
Ms Parminter claimed farmers and CPRE had a shared agenda and said if the wider countryside was worth protecting, it was worth shouting about it.
She agreed with Prof McInerney that the governments environmental payment schemes for farmers needed to be revamped.
“We will lobby for changes in the way farmers are paid under schemes so they are paid for the environment they manage and not on the basis of income foregone.”
Around 200 delegates attended the conference, which was called Re-balancing the role of British Farming.
As a precaution following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, delegates drove over disinfected straw to reach the venue and had their feet disinfected.