The latest (up to 2010) official figures for the UK Farmland Bird Index (and for that for England alone where things are just a tad worse) were published on Tuesday. They show a further decline in numbers of the suite of 19 farmland birds which brings the index to its lowest ever point. Take a…
Tag: agri-environment schemes
Guest blog – Ian Coghill, Chair of GWCT
I’m Ian Coghill. Mark very kindly suggested I do a guest spot on his blog. I’m the Chairman of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT). Contrary to some possible expectations that this news may engender, I am not rich, I don’t own a grouse moor and the only estate I have regular contact with…
An open letter to Peter Kendall, President of the NFU
Dear Peter As the President of the National Farmers Union you claim to be the ‘voice of farming’ and last week you made a speech where you said that there is no ‘biodiversity crisis’ and government should ‘switch its focus from biodiversity’ to production. Speaking as one of the people who pays for your and…
Defra – dire, egregious, failing, risible and adrift.
It’s more than 18 months since the current ministers walked confidently into Defra’s headquarters at Nobel House after the May 2010 General Election (with one change of Lord in the interim). I’m glad that we have not seen too much chopping and changing of ministers under the Cameron (Clegg) coalition government, as that rarely leads…
Casual but calculated anti-environmentalism
‘Government should switch its focus from bio-diversity and concentrate on farm productivity if it wants to make the most of British agriculture’s potential as an engine for growth‘ Peter Kendall, the President of the NFU, said on Wednesday. Kendall continued with this most callous, calculated and casual statement ‘The point is we haven’t got a…