Council helps shape the future of farming
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
Northumberland County Council is working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to capture voices from Northumberland’s farming communities.
The Council, with support from DEFRA, has been hosting a series of workshops and meetings with key players in the agricultural sector to help provide long-term direction and explore what farmers need on the ground.
The latest event saw 37 individuals – particularly young people from Northumberland College - have their say on the future of farming and find solutions that protect the rural economy, preserve the natural landscape, and safeguard food security.
Additionally, the Rural Economic Forum, Northumberland National Park Authority and the Farming Advisory Service have also been actively sharing their views.
This coordinated feedback ensures Northumberland voices are being heard by policy makers and builds upon the strong collaborative work the Council has carried out over previous years including the Future of Farming Inquiry and the Farming in a Changing Climate project.
With strong links to farming in Northumberland, the Council is playing a key role in helping to shape the UK government's Farming Roadmap - a strategic 25-year plan to ensure the future of farming in the UK is viable, resilient, and balanced.
Cllr Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council and Chairman for the Rural Economic Forum said: “Farming and the countryside make Northumberland look and feel the way it does. Farmers play a hugely important part in our lives.
“Producing the food we need as well as providing a unique countryside that is welcome to nature and for us to enjoy and cherish.
“Their views on the future of the industry at this uncertain time is crucial so the County Council has taken great steps to listen and to record their thoughts which will be an important ingredient into this piece of work and I am grateful to our staff for their dedication to this work and to all those who were involved in giving their views.”
The Council’s engagement activity with farming communities will continue, and the government’s Farming Roadmap is due to be published later this year.
