Put cash into countryside – WWF

26 April 2001



Put cash into countryside – WWF

By FWi staff

THE World Wide Fund for Nature has called for a rural investment package within two years to stave off the crisis caused by foot-and-mouth disease.

In a statement released on Friday (27 April), the charity said radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must accompany a big cash injection.

WWF recommends that 75% of the 5.27 billion spent on the CAP should be pumped into the rural economy and not just agriculture.

WWF farm and rural development policy officer Richard Perkins said the Ministry of Agriculture and farming unions had a stranglehold on rural policy.

He was discussing a WWF report which says that foot-and-mouth may spur the reform of farming and lead to a more sustainable integrated rural policy.

The report, written by Neil Ward from Newcastle University, says foot-and-mouth has focused attention on land-based industries and support for farming.

Senior politicians have now publicly recognised the need for a thorough review of the agricultural industry, the report says.

A review should allow organisations with an interest in sustainable development set out their recommendations for agricultural reform.