Should Farmers Be Paid For More Than Food?

Should famers be paid for more than food? That was the motion discussed at this year's Oxford Farming Conference Debate, sponsored by Brodies at the Royal Highland Show.

The argument in favour of the motion is that government support for farmers could be used to deliver services which the public value, such as supporting the environment, promoting wildlife and protecting clean water. With this, there needs to be a better understanding of what the public wants from farmland and how it is managed.

The argument against is that subsidy reduces entrepreneurialism and that adversity drives innovation. The recent experience of the dairy sector was held up as an example. The industry needs to be challenged, be nimble and identify new opportunities.