Food Security. But at what cost?

I fundamentally agree that we need food security in this country. But at what cost?

The current system that we have has made it economically unviable to produce food in this country.

We are in a situation where farmers are working increasingly long hours for less and less return. Where farm businesses are drowning in debt and the mental health of farmers is utterly shocking.

I believe that that is just too high a price to pay.

Now, we can throw blame and point the finger at the Government, at the big supermarkets, at Brexit. But that's wasted time and energy because isn’t going to change anything.

We can't change the system so I believe we need to focus on changing ourselves.

We need to diversify away from a food production mindset and business and move into other revenue streams that will pay you a fair price for your time, effort and skill.

Whether that is looking at environmental or land management schemes, selling direct to the public or looking at off farm income. Because food production in the current system does not pay a fair price. So stop doing it.

We need to stop:

• Wasting precious time and energy getting tied up in the politics of the situation.
• Being so reluctant to change that it comes at the detriment of your business or more importantly your health.
  

Rather, we need to start to:

• Look internally at what we can control and make changes there first
• Follow the money. Look at revenue streams that will pay you a fair price for your time, effort and skill.
  

If we, as an industry, are to have any chance of delivering food security then we need people and businesses that are fit, healthy and thriving. And that is a world away from where we are at the minute.

Charge ourselves first before we can change the system.