Let Farmers Farm: Food, Not Fallow Fields

Read what you will into the global economy, but one thing is blindingly obvious: it makes far more sense for British farmers to grow food at a fair price than to be paid to leave productive land fallow.

In an increasingly uncertain world—climate shocks, fragile supply chains, geopolitical tensions—food security matters. Yet UK farmers often find themselves tangled in layers of government schemes that reward not producing rather than producing well. While environmental stewardship is vital, blanket incentives to take land out of food production risk undermining both farming livelihoods and national resilience.

British farmers are not the problem. They are skilled land managers who already balance yields, soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare—often on wafer-thin margins. What they need is fair pricing, stable policy, and trust, not constant interference that changes with every political wind.

Pay farmers properly for the food they grow. Support sustainable practices without discouraging production. And remember: you can’t eat a policy document.

Sometimes the greenest option is simply this—grow good food, well, at home.