Place: Devon

Chaired by Commissioner David Fursdon, the local inquiry in Devon convened a diverse group of stakeholders to shape the research that would enable them both to contribute to the Commission’s work, and help make progress on solving their own challenges. Four working groups formed, on the importance of Devon’s grasslands; attracting young people into farming; local reactions to the global challenges of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss; and healthy and thriving communities. The results, drawn from the research they commissioned and examples of good practice, present compelling recommendations and responses to the challenges that Devon faces in the present and future.

Devon inquiry

Devon Committee and University of Exeter

The largest of the south west counties, Devon is largely rural and has a population of around 780,000 people. It boasts two National Parks, five AONBs and two coastlines. Food, farming and the countryside are critical to the local economy: agriculture employs around 19,000 people directly, to say nothing of the wider network it supports. The majority of farmland is either permanent or temporary grass with smaller proportions of arable and woodland.

The Devon locally led inquiry was chaired by RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commissioner and Devonian, David Fursdon. He convened a Committee of stakeholders from farming, conservation, the food industry, education and community development. This Committee shaped the local inquiry and identified four themes to investigate: environment and biodiversity; new entrants to farming; health and thriving communities; Devon’s grasslands.

The findings of these working groups are summarised below. For full details of the work and all references, see the separate Devon locally led inquiry report at www.bit.ly/ffccDevon.

Environment and biodiversity: key messages

Given the urgent global challenges that climate breakdown and biodiversity loss present, it was important to the Devon Committee that they reflect on the local impacts, and on opportunities to take proactive and responsible steps in making change.

Climate adaptation and mitigation

Because of its diversity of habitats and land use, Devon is well placed to implement more nature-based solutions to climate breakdown. The key areas for this are the uplands where blanket bog and carbon-rich peatlands need to be protected and brought into favourable condition to secure their embedded carbon; semi-natural grasslands need to be maintained and restored; riparian corridors need to be widened and taken out of agricultural use; and there needs to be a greater emphasis on soil health. On arable farmland, a move to min- or no-till should be encouraged, alongside new plant varieties, provided this does not lead to an increase in herbicide use.

Agroforestry and silvopasture are viewed as opportunities to support farmers to integrate more trees into their farming business and to promote more woodland creation. Planting the right tree in the right place would have a significant benefit in sequestering more carbon as well as protecting soils and watercourses. It would also deliver a range of other benefits such as increased biodiversity, diversification of farm income, shelter for livestock and improved animal health.

The above proposals need to be backed up by action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through demand-focussed measures as well, such as cutting food waste, eating more locally produced food and promoting healthy and balanced diets.

Biodiversity loss

Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Devon has not escaped this downward trend; the Devon Bird Atlas (2016) showed declines of 60 bird species since the previous Atlas was published in 1988.

Productive farming and biodiversity in Devon can co-exist on the same land. The landscape matrix which has evolved over time has the potential, with some adjustments and the right changes to management practices, to deliver great products and great wildlife in the future. Areas of high-nature value are important, more so when they are connected by nature-rich farmland. For biodiversity, scale matters; landscape-scale partnerships between landowners, supported by a knowledgeable environmental advisor, are key to deliver species recovery. All land, even land that is currently depleted, can be transformed to deliver better biodiversity outcomes; this should be rewarded on its own merits as a public good.

To support local action on biodiversity, the group recommends that Devon’s natural assets be mapped to show areas of biodiversity richness. Financial support could then be directed to those landowners who are willing to create wildlife corridors between biodiversity hotspots. This would support the ambition expressed in the 25-Year Plan for the Environment to create a Nature Recovery Network covering 500,000 hectares of new land that is well-managed for nature. Devon is also well placed to deliver on the recommendations of the Lawton report, Making Space for Nature, that called for more, bigger, better and joined-up areas for nature. Whilst encouraging natural processes to take precedence in these areas, food production can still be one of the outcomes.

Advice

Reliable, independent, evidence-based advice is crucial to help farmers and landowners become part of the solution that’s needed to address these threats, given the complexity and interconnectedness of climate breakdown mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity resillience. The provision of independent, trusted advice is vital, especially to aid anticipated transitions in farm support.

New entrants to farming: key messages

The new entrants working group explored who will be the future of the food and farming sector in Devon — the development of the next generation. This question is part of the broader conversation of what we want the future of farming and the countryside to look like, and how technology and other forces will therefore be used by the sector. In terms of who will own and operate the farms, attracting new people into the sector is critical, not only in Devon but across the UK. The median age of the farming population in the UK rose to 60 in 2016, with a third of all farms held by persons over the age of 65 and only 3% held by persons below the age of 35. Having a generation ready to take over for outgoing operators, as well as begin vibrant new enterprises within this important primary production sector, is necessary to support domestic food security, rural economic vitality, and environmental management.

Engaging new people in the sector

Chaired by the outgoing Principal of South Devon College, Stephen Criddle OBE, the new entrants group in Devon investigated how to encourage local young people to consider a career in the food and farming sector. Despite living in a largely rural county, many Devon youngsters will not have considered a career in the sector, especially those who have no familial links to the industry.

Working with Beth Dooley at the University of Exeter, the working group have designed and administered an attitudinal survey of Year 9 students in the county (14–15 year olds). This survey is designed to better understand what these young people are seeking from a future career, and their current perceptions of a career in food and farming. From these data the working group are seeking to provide recommendations for better encouraging new entrants to the sector by demonstrating how their existing hopes for careers could be met within food and farming.

The survey results are currently being analysed and the full results will be available in the Devon report.

Devon’s grasslands: key messages

Concerns about diet-related health issues, such as diabetes, and the impact on global warming from methane emissions, has given rise to concerns about meat consumption in our diets. These discussions are important to Devon, as a county with a focus on pasture fed meat and dairy farming. The work of this group intersected with research by the Commission on this subject.

Dairy and livestock farming on pasture is a feature of Devon agriculture. Grassland forms an important part of the county’s landscape, supporting the economic benefits of agriculture, the food industry and leisure and tourism. Of Devon’s 485,751.5 ha of land under commercial farm holdings (72.4 % of its total land), over 75% are grasslands.

Given the soils predominantly covering the landscape and topography of Devon, grassland is an effective crop production choice, well-suited to the county. Keeping these soils covered is crucial to prevent runoff, and grasslands’ dense rooting and earthworm populations provide good soil structure and friable stable topsoils. Devon’s significantly higher annual and winter rainfall averages (in comparison to areas used predominantly for other types of production, e.g. arable in the South East of England), makes it particularly suitable for pasture cover. High moisture content or, at worst, waterlogged fields mean that the heavy machinery more associated with arable food production should often not be used between mid-October and end of March (depending on the season) due to high risk of soil compaction.

In short, this area of the country has conditions particularly suitable for growing grass rather than other agricultural products. This farming of grassland enables non-human edible foods (i.e. grass) to become human edible through conversion into animal protein.

Flying the flag for grass

A resource unique to Devon is the North Wyke Farm Platform. Housed under Rothamsted Research, a research centre aimed at advancing scientific understanding and technological solutions around agriculture and food. Recent research from North Wyke highlights the existing literature around differences in meat quality based upon the feed profiles of livestock, resulting in significant differences in omega-3 and omega-6 ratios. Particularly when finished on grass and clover, fresh red meat tends to have an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 2:1, which is drastically lower than the typical Western diet of 12:1 and even lower than the medically recommended 3:1 to avoid risk of cardiovascular disease. Given that red meat is typically low in total fat, dietary risks have been linked to the high proportions of short chain saturated fatty acids (SFA), e.g. C16:0 (palmitic acid), of which there tend to be lower quantities in grassfed red meat as well. Thus, the message that red meat is bad for you hinges more on the fact that not all red meat is created equal — it depends on the quality of the meat consumed as part of a balanced diet.

The work in Devon aligns with the research that the Commission undertook in; ‘Building a deliberative process around the EAT-Lancet report’, found in the Health section. Participants from the Devon group were involved in this research.

Nuance is needed in identifying what contribution to food production a landscape is best suited to make. And in appreciating the different health and environmental impacts from meat and dairy production under different farming practices and landscape conditions.

In Devon, where grass is the land’s best output, promoting grazing systems makes sense from a strategic land-use standpoint. The county’s high quality grass provides an excellent basis for producing high quality meat through low intensity farming practices. When seen as part of the UK’s food production system, this could support diets which include less but higher quality meat.

There are significant gaps in our knowledge of how to optimally manage grasslands for the multiple functions they provide; thus, on-going research and knowledge exchange is vital.

The Pipers Farm case study in the Health section gives an example of Devon farms capitalising on the county’s excellent pasture land to produce less, higher quality meat.

Health and thriving communities: key messages

This subgroup which looked at three key issues at the intersection of public health and food and farming.

Health amongst the farming community

People are at the heart of the south west’s agricultural system. However, like other regions, the south west suffers from ill health amongst its farming community. Rural disconnectedness and social isolation, financial strain and uncertainty about the future all impact on the health of farmers and their families.

There are several initiatives in Devon, and neighbouring Cornwall, which are working on this important issue including the Farming Community Network (FCN), FarmCornwall, the Derek Mead Clinic, and a planned new initiative, the Farming Health Hub, all of which are doing very important work in the region.

Given the interconnectedness of business health, physical health and mental health, it is critical that support services reflect these relationships and focus on preventative interventions. Significant changes to farming are anticipated and the ramifications on farmer health is a ticking time bomb, especially amongst older generations who are already less likely to seek support, these support services are likely to be increasingly in demand. Farmer support services, offered by organisations such as FCN, will become increasingly critical and need to be highly visible to the farming and health communities. In Devon the FCN were invited by the Clinical Commissiong Group to present their services to all lead GPs and Practice Managers, thereby raising their profile. Examples like this could be replicated in other areas of the country.

It is also recommended that organisations working with the farming community, across public, third and private sectors, from vets to agronomists to accountants, should be alert to the increased risk amongst the community and make themselves aware of the support services offered locally, in order that they can signpost support where feasible.

Preparing young people for healthier lives

Outdoor education is important for its role in keeping children fit and healthy and its ability to educate on the provenance of food.

Forthcoming changes to the Ofsted inspection framework look set to provide an opportunity for schools to integrate outdoor learning into their curriculum. Depending on the final draft, creative curricula offered by schools, including an emphasis on outdoor learning /teaching strategies, will be favoured in order to develop a balanced child with not only specific knowledge but the qualities and skills for the future that allow him or her to continue learning. To help schools take up this opportunity:

• Providers of outdoor education should ensure that their services clearly demonstrate a link to the demands of the national curriculum. The NFU’s FarmVenture programme is a good example of this.
• Defra and the DfE should align incentives to encourage outdoor learning. This includes ensuring that future funding schemes from Defra allow farmers to claim payments for time spent on providing outdoor learning activities for young people.

However, it can be difficult for schools to decide which provider and activity to go with. Devon has two exemplar organisations which help schools to access outdoor learning education. Sustainable outdoor learning in Devon (SOLID) and Peninsula Research in Outdoor Learning (PRinOL) have different models, but both provide teachers with a range of options via a single contact point. Other areas of the country should look at these models as best practice.

Outdoor learning providers in Devon have found that providing training for teachers is the best route to encouraging the uptake of their services. SOLID’s ‘one-stop-shop’ approach is an effective model of offering training to help teachers identify which of the many learning opportunities are most suitable for them. This is a model which should be rolled out in other areas.

Sustainable outdoor learning in Devon case study

SOLID is an umbrella organisation for the numerous individual organisations throughout Devon providing outdoor learning opportunities to children. It aims to bring together all of the expertise in the county and share best practice, promote joint projects, advise local authorities as a leading authority and unified voice, and support teachers. It is the only organisation like this in the country, made up of organisations such as Devon Wildlife Trust, Clinton Devon Estates, the Outdoors Group, RHS Campaign for School Gardening, Dartmoor National Park, etc. SOLID hosts an annual conference on outdoor learning involving a full day of teacher training and awareness raising by practitioners.

Procurement

The ‘buy local’ issue has been a prominent feature in public discussion for several years. There is opportunity in Devon for local procurement to support sustainable farming. This requires actions at both national and local level.

At the national level, the group recommends that to influence sustainable food procurement by public institutions, beyond central government and associated organisations, Government Buying Standards compliance and use of the ‘Balanced Scorecard’ within public service contracts should be mandatory. The need for such improved public value from public spending was reinforced by the Barber Report in 2017. In doing this, existing mechanisms and indications would be strengthened to ensure sustainability is incorporated and maintained within public food procurement for local communities, small businesses, community stakeholders and the environment.

At the local level, and in order for local producers to facilitate such procurement, the group recommends that farmers in Devon should work collaboratively to offer sustainable food services to local procurement offices, e.g. schools and hospitals. Examples of such collaboration already exists in services which supply the public, such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) businesses which have burgeoned in response to customers being willing to pay money upfront for the farmers’ seeds, inputs, and operating costs for the season to have a guaranteed supply of fresh local produce.

In a final recommendation the group noted that public spaces in Devon, and beyond, should be utilised to raise awareness and increase social interaction around food. A best practice example, which could be replicated in Devon, is the Lambeth GPs group who have raised garden beds at all their surgery locations. These are tended by patients and have been supported by the Clinical Commissioning Group.

Reflections on the inquiry

Josie Warden, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission

In looking to convene a locally led inquiry in Devon we approached Commissioner David Fursdon to advise on the best approach. David generously offered to chair the work and convened a Committee of people from a range of organisations, from health to farming to community development, including some members from neighbouring Cornwall. Together this Committee identified key challenges for the county which they have explored in working groups, inviting additional input from other stakeholders.

Each working group has functioned differently, some choosing to conduct primary research, others collating input from their networks through roundtable meetings. Beth Dooley and Prof. Matt Lobley from the University of Exeter partnered on the inquiry to provide research skills and expert advice to the Committee and working groups. Their hard work and local support has been invaluable.

The enthusiasm from the Committee has been inspiring, and the range of skills and experiences they brought to bear are a testament to the quality of the south west’s agricultural sector and its civil society. Navigating limited resources and other time commitments as individuals, they have generated a body of information and recommendations which illuminates the challenges and opportunities facing Devon, and its regional neighbours.

We were keen that the Committee decide themselves what they wished to explore within the realm of food, farming and countryside in Devon. They are the best judges of what is important locally and what interests they think will gain traction. The themes they landed on translate across to the issues that the main Commission has focussed on, and the insights gathered have been influential in the work of the Commission.

The Commission believed that providing an opportunity and space for local stakeholders to fill with their own ideas and insights would tap into local needs in a way that national work cannot do. Holding those spaces open and trusting that the right thing emerges can feel nerve-wracking at the start, as each party looks to the other for direction. Asking for people to volunteer their time is tricky. It is not always easy to balance expectations and aspirations with the resources that are available, nor to balance the energy and interests of a large group with different individual interests. But the quality and breadth of the work that has emerged from Devon amply evidences the importance of national commissions taking this approach. We hope that their insights and recommendations continue to inspire action in Devon, Cornwall and further afield.

A detailed report of the Devon locally led inquiry is available at www.bit.ly/ffccDevon.