Mabon ap Gwynfor

Farmers aren’t to blame for climate change

(Photo: iStock)

Welsh hill farmers are a hardy lot. Despite the almost mystical and romantic images that come to mind when you think of a Welsh hill farm, the truth is a far soggier affair. People have struggled to eke a living out of what is an extremely difficult terrain for generations, which has, in turn, created the communities and the culture we enjoy in rural Wales today.


Such is the case where I live: a small parcel of land stretching from the river Dee and up the slopes of the Berwyn mountains in the north of Wales.


My father-in-law is the third generation to farm this land. He and those that went before him nurtured this small corner of the earth in order to feed their families and the nation. Things are more difficult today, and many young farmers are seeking alternative employment to subsidise their meagre farming income.


The farm, and the industry, never stands still. New rules and requirements are set by various bodies demanding they change their practices. One generation is paid to rip up hedgerows. The next is paid to plant more trees.

However, the industry today is in a precarious position, and farmers feel under the cosh. To the minds of some, at least, farmers can do no right.

The journalist Simon Jenkins suggested hill farmers were partly to the blame for the severe floods seen at the beginning of this year. Such generalisations are both incorrect and unhelpful. Climate change has meant that the sheer volume of water discharged onto our hills in such a short period of time is unprecedented.

These extreme weather conditions mean that climate change is becoming a more direct concern for people and, consequently, more scrutiny is given to practices that contribute to the emergency that we’re facing.

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