Alliance leads debate on animals in society

The Countryside Alliance presence at the Conservative Party Conference concluded this week, with a fascinating discussion of the relations between humans and animals, and their role in society. Chaired by Chief Executive Tim Bonner, we were delighted to welcome to the panel the Food and Farming Minister, Mark Spencer MP; Fay Jones MP, the Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire; and Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union. 

Much of the discussion focused on food and farming and the panel was unanimous that government should not be in the business of telling people what they can and cannot eat. Mark Spencer began by heralding the top quality, high-welfare meat that the UK produces, reminding delegates that many of our most beautiful rural landscapes, from the Lake District to the North Yorkshire Moors, have been shaped by animal agriculture. Some, he said, want to pit farmers against the interests of the environment, but for him they must go hand in hand. 

Fay Jones followed by reminding us of the importance of livestock and dairy farming to the rural and, ultimately, national economy. In her constituency, the vast majority of farming is of beef and sheep; she has known farmers to be sad when the truck comes to bring them to slaughter, but their job is to rear them humanely and then send them on their way to create fantastic products: It is, she said, a virtuous rural circle with livestock at its heart, and without it she would not have a community to represent. 

Minette Batters reminded the audience that the hard core of animal farming opposition comes from people who are fundamentally animal rights activists who are against the production and consumption of meat. There is the risk of the issue being politicised, which is why the NFU – like the Countryside Alliance – was concerned about the creation of the Animal Sentience Committee, which is now composed of NGOs and academics, not practitioners. Nothing upsets NFU members more than attacks on what they do: the worst extremes this can include invasion of their premises, but verbal attacks on their way of life are similarly upsetting. Ultimately, though, it is led by a very small number of extremely vocal people, so on a political level we need to rise above it and base policy on science and evidence. For a huge proportion of people, meat and dairy remain important parts of their diet. 

As befits an open debate, there were thoughtful contributions from the floor from representatives of both the Vegetarian Society and the Vegan Society. One asked about where the suggestion of eating less but better meat might fit into the discussion; panellists responded that this is a good argument for supporting British meat farming, since it has the highest standards of quality, welfare and environmental performance in the world. 

The other sought reflection on whether shifting consumer trends towards plant-based diets, particularly among the young, might mean that an opportunity was being missed to support farmers to adapt. Minette Batters said that there is a lot of desire to expand the horticulture sector and it is happening, but warned that while she had no problem with people choosing a vegan diet if they wish, the mainstream of veganism needs to separate itself from the animal rights extremists who think that their desire to see an end to livestock farming entitles them to cause devastating harm to farms. Mark Spencer added that as part of the drive to sustainability, adding cover crops and grazing livestock to a farming rotation can benefit the environment by improving soil health. Fay Jones also pointed out that much agricultural land is only suitable for grazing in any case; she said she did not know what farmers were supposed to plant on a mountain. 

Beyond food and farming, Tim Bonner pointed out that concern is growing over attacks on the place of animals in society across the board, with everything from pigeon racing to guide dogs being targeted. Fay Jones agreed that it does feel as though we are heading that way, particularly in Wales, but she praised the Countryside Alliance for campaigning successfully against plans by Natural Resources Wales to start licensing the release of gamebirds from next season. She also said the protests at the Grand National and The Derby were counter-productive because they shone a light on just how well the horses are treated. Mark Spencer and Minette Batters agreed that businesses and governments need to work together to explain to people how the welfare of animals involved in activities is being looked after. 

The event was livestreamed on Facebook in its entirety and remains available to view now. We are grateful to our exceptional panel and to all the delegates who attended and created such a positive, productive session.