Prince Charles says people's connection with
countryside is dying
Magazine column by
heir calls for people to value ‘landscapes, farmers, villages and pubs’ or risk
losing them
Press Association
theguardian.com, Wednesday 12 November 2014
/ http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/12/prince-charles-says-peoples-connection-with-countryside-is-dying
Prince Charles has warned that the majority
of people have “lost any real connection with the land” as he outlined his
concerns about the future of the countryside.
The Prince of Wales, writing in a foreword
for Country Life magazine to mark his 66th birthday this week, argued that many
people were four or more generations removed from those who worked on the land
and it showed in their attitudes.
Many only had a “vague understanding” of
farming and were increasingly suspicious of it, the heir to the throne said.
Charles maintained that people still
treasured the countryside and urged them to value it or risk losing its
landscapes, farmers, village pubs and local foods.
“One of the things that strikes me most
forcibly is the extent to which the majority of the population has lost any
real connection with the land,” he wrote.
“Unlike in most parts of the continent of
Europe, many people in the UK are now four or more generations removed from
anyone who actually worked on the land – and it frequently shows in their
attitudes.
“They have only a vague understanding of
what farming is or does; and, as outsiders looking in, they are increasingly
suspicious of it. At the same time, they treasure the countryside.
“The rich, natural tapestry that is the
countryside we value so highly does not just happen by itself. But that
delicately woven tapestry is facing unprecedented challenges.
“Start pulling out the threads and the rest
unravels very rapidly indeed, and is very difficult to put back again – no
farmers, no beautiful landscapes with hedgerows and stone walls; no thriving
rural communities, no villages or village pubs; no local markets, no
distinctive local foods. Somehow we need to find a way to put a value on our
countryside, with all its facets.”
The Prince guest-edited the weekly magazine
last year to mark his 65th birthday. He turns 66 on Friday.
Charles highlighted the importance of
farmers, insisting: “I simply cannot see a viable future for the countryside
that does not have the farmer – and the family farmer is a vital element in
this – as food producer, at the front and centre of the picture.
“It would not only be a folly to lose
agricultural land, it would be equally foolish to use it in ways that are not
environmentally sustainable in the long term.”
He stressed the benefits to the wider
economy of the countryside’s “ecosystem services” – with meadows and other
grasslands storing millions of tonnes of carbon, providing homes for
pollinating insects, supporting the agricultural economy and areas of beauty
attracting visitors to boost local tourism.
Mark Hedges, editor of Country Life, said:
“We are delighted that the prince agreed to mark his 66th birthday by writing a
powerful leader on the importance of preserving the countryside and its way of
life.
“The prince has a deep understanding and
connection with every aspect of people working and living in rural Britain,
from highlighting the hardship facing hill farmers who, last year, earned on
average £8,000 to the 60,000 new entrants needed in the UK farming sector to
secure its future, to the importance of preserving village schools, pubs and
shops at the heart of country communities.”
The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which was
established in 2010, has provided £4.4m in grants to those who care for the
countryside.
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