about farming
Good food in today's Britain is very affordable.
Over 80% of the British countryside is farmland
Consumers in the UK only spend 11.2% of
worked by farmers.
income on food. This figure is lower than most other
countries.
Farming allows the UK to be 66.5%
self-sufficient in all food and 79% in
Today it takes about 44 days for most Britons
indigenous food.
to earn enough income to pay for their food
supply for the entire year. In 1950 it took twice as long.
In the early 1950s food and drink accounted
for 40% of the UK's imports. Now the figure
Recent work published in the Lancet (Nov
is 10%.
2001) involving a large sample of 3,504
children concluded that farm children were found to
Each year in the UK farmland equal to five
have markedly better immunity against the development
times the size of Cambridge (100,000 acres)
of asthma, hay fever and allergies.
disappears under buildings, roads and leisure areas.
All UK cattle have passports to record all
Where two people now produce food in the UK
births, deaths and movements.
five were needed in 1940.
Growth in UK's agricultural productivity has
Beef production in the UK is based on grazing
been a real success story. Final output per unit
grass. In other countries beef animals are far
of all inputs has rocketed from an index of 75 in 1973 to
more likely to be reared in feed lots or indoor barns and
107 in 2001.
fed on concentrates.
Figures released by the Food Standards
Britain imports chickens and pigs from some
Agency show levels of salmonella in chicken
countries where 90% of the farms would not
have fallen to an all time low.
pass British Assured Standards on animal welfare or
food hygiene.
Beef farmers have won back the confidence of
shoppers. Beef sales in the UK are now well
Britain has assurance schemes that set high
above pre-BSE levels.
standards of practice at all stages of the
production process. Each farm is independently
Farmers are part of our history and part of a
checked to ensure it meets world beating standards on
culture. In history Britain has always been a
food hygiene, animal welfare and the environment.
great agricultural nation. Our statesmen such as
Cromwell and Churchill came from farms. Our monarchs
Contrary to popular misconception NO British
have always prided themselves on their royal farms such
livestock is fed or injected with hormones.
as Sandringham and Windsor. Farming has also inspired
our artists. From Constable's `Haywain' to Houseman's
`The Ploughman' our greatest painters, composers,
novelists and poets have drawn inspiration from our
culture of agriculture.
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