By Denis Sheehan MIH, Publisher, H&C News: Thank you, Lord Johnson, James O’Brien et al for widening the view.
Following a recent article – Minister of State for International Trade backs importing NZ lamb as better for the environment – I was contacted by the Department for International Trade’s press office, stating that “the Minister is keen to provide a response to this”.
I of course agreed and the response from the Minister for Investment Dominic Johnson read: “British lamb is among the best in the world thanks to the lengths UK farmers go to ensure its high quality.
“International trade has many advantages, including in some cases reducing the impact on the environment by importing products which benefit from local economies of scale.
“As a trade minister I will continue to bang the drum for UK lamb as a leading British product and export.”
The publishing of the reply followed a conversation with a member of the Press Office. In preparation for the call, and to seek ‘other views’ on the subject I sent a tweet out requesting such. Never imagined the response… Said tweet has reached over 86,000 impressions, with various conversations taking place, flowing through replies, RT’s and QT’s.
One RT was from LBC Radio host James O’Brien, who over many years has vigorously questioned the sanity of all things Brexit, including how it impacted the hospitality industry’s people and skills shortages. Details and an audio clip of robust questioning of Brexit related to the hospitality industry can be seen and heard here.
The objective of a widened view on the matter was achieved, this article being one such example identified through the various exchanges that flowed through the original tweet- Trees may replace sheep farms (in Wales) due to Brexit, says study.
The article published in FarmingUK cites research done by a team from the University of Reading. The research modelled how the UK leaving the EU would affect economic conditions for sheep farmers, and the resulting changes in land use. Projecting a 20% increase in broadleaf forest and 18% increase in coniferous forest.
Professor Martin Lukac from the University of Reading’s School of Agriculture said: “What is clear is that the Welsh countryside will change over the next ten years due to Brexit, and that will have both positive and negative effects for different actors.
“On the one side, our most conservative models suggest that we could see around 85m more trees in Wales through a combination of planted coniferous forest and natural regeneration of broadleaf woodlands.
“The benefits that this will have for our natural environment would be significant for carbon sequestering and for biodiversity of woodland habitats.”
However, at the same time he warned that the net gain of millions of trees would be at the cost to the Welsh sheep farming industry.
As time rolls on and sustainability continues to become an ever more important factor in all things economic, the connecting lines and considerations to a solution become more complex, requiring more diligent examination.
Thank you, Lord Johnson, James O’Brien et al for widening the view.
