Wildlife needs a new plan for agriculture | Letters

Chris Packham's manifesto for wildlife won't work without a radical new plan for agriculture, says Michael BunneyWill the 200 ways to save British wildlife (Chris Packham, 19 September) really make a difference? Having spent my working career in agriculture, as both a field adviser and in Whitehall, and having also chaired one of the Wildlife Trusts, I struggle as to how we can make a significant difference.The systems and technologies that we (society as a whole) have developed over the last 70 years are well embedded and were initiated by the 1947 Agriculture Act, and have resulted in the wildlife losses referred to in the article. All the ideas and policies being put forward now are almost literally tinkering around the edges and often antagonise those trying to make a living from farming. We depend on them for much of our food, and they also have the most impact on those green spaces we need for healthy living. This may become even harder after Brexit. With around 70% of land under these farming systems we need a much more radical and constructive approach to solving the issue collectively. Continue reading...