Farmers are best champions of countryside survey reveals

Farmers are better champions of the British countryside, compared to certain “eco- activists”, according to results from a Gen-Z survey released today (20 May).

The survey of 1,000 people was carried out by ORB on behalf of the Future Countryside conference and asked those aged 18-27 (also known as Gen Z) about their attitudes towards the countryside, including the influence of social media, and barriers to visiting.

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According to the survey, 32% of Gen Z respondents said farmers are the “best champion” of the Great British countryside, compared to activists and environmental campaigners (12%), and politicians (4%).

Jeremy Clarkson also beat Chris Packham as the celebrity “best placed” to represent the Great British Countryside, behind Sir David Attenborough in first place.

Asked which TV shows best represent life in the countryside, Sir David Attenborough documentary Wild Isles also came out top (20%), followed by Amazon Prime’s hit series Clarkson’s Farm (12%), while the BBC’s flagship rural affairs show, Countryfile, came a close third (10%).

Gen Z also believes that the top three roles farmers should be doing more of include “ensuring animal welfare and ethical treatment” (42%), “looking after the land and natural environment” (40%), and “growing food to feed the population” (37%).

Visiting the countryside

Social media content on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook has influenced their decision to visit the countryside, though women (58%) were more likely to visit compared to their male counterparts (50%), with the frequency of visits increasing with age.  

Mental health, well-being and rest (36%), connecting with nature and watching wildlife (34%), as well as physical health and exercise (30%) were cited as reasons for escaping towns and cities.

However, distance, lack of time and transport costs were identified as barriers to making an escape to the great outdoors, and nearly half were put off by the lack of internet and phone signal.

And whilst Gen Z consider the countryside to be welcoming (84%) and an important part of their heritage worth preserving (83%), only 24% of the 1,000 people polled said they’d like to live there.