Opinion: Bedfordshire farming leader welcomes huge public show of support on Back British Farming Day

The NFU’s latest Farmer Favourability Survey results were released on Back British Farming Day on Wednesday and revealed the public has voted farmers as the second most respected profession in the UK for the third year running1.

The survey demonstrates the public really values farmers for producing high-quality food, caring for animals and protecting the countryside – often in the face of extreme weather and economic pressures. Ranking farmers and growers second only to our fantastic nurses, the survey also found:

• 92% people feel it’s important Britain has a productive farming sector.
• 89% say British farms should grow as much food as possible to support national food security.
• More than three-quarters of respondents trust British food more than food from the rest of the world.

With new Ministers in Defra, there is an opportunity to make farming’s case strongly to a new top team.

As the NFU took Back British Farming Day once again to Westminster, it is calling on government to recognise and reflect on this continued public support with policies that truly value domestic food production and farming’s environmental delivery.

NFU Bedfordhsire and Huntingdonshire Chair Freya Morgan, who farms near Bedford, said: “It has been fantastic to see so many people coming out in support of our farmers on Back British Farming Day.

“I was very pleased to see, also, the results of the latest public survey.

“I feel that support from the people of Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire and that is hugely appreciated.

“People here see how vital farmers are in contributing towards national food security, driving the economy and protecting the countryside.

“The farming industry is facing some huge challenges, and we need politicians to work with us – to recognise the huge benefits farming brings to wider society and to deliver policies which support the farming industry.

“We now have a new Defra Secretary in Emma Reynolds and a new Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle.

“The NFU looks forward to working with them on the challenges and opportunities facing British farming.”

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “British farming is the bedrock of the country’s largest manufacturing sector – food and drink – worth over £150 billion to the economy and supporting more than four million jobs. Just as we rightly celebrate the strength of our food and drink sector, we must also recognise and invest in the people who make it possible: our farmers and growers.

“Back British Farming Day is about recognising the value of our farmers – not just for the food they produce, but for the role they play in our communities, our economy and our environment. And clearly, the public is behind us.”