Red Tractor’s CEO responds to Monbiot’s controversial views on farming this week

I AM really disappointed by the article in Footprint dated 3 June “Monbiot calls to end idealised fairytale view of farming”.

David-Clarke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments about the Red Tractor scheme in the Guardian blog originate in a 2011report by a welfare lobby group that was wrong at the time and is wrong and outdated today. Sadly the organisation recently recycled it into a leaflet, and George Monbiot recycled the leaflet into his Guardian blog. Whilst we normally congratulate Footprint on its dedication to recycling, it is a step too far to regurgitate this for a fourth time. I have worked long enough with farmers to know that recycled manure is still manure and Footprint should know better.

 
It might take a side swipe at the Red Tractor scheme but in reality the information presented is an insult to today’s food and farming industry. The industry is committed to supplying nutritious food, produced to good standards at prices that ordinary people can afford. If anyone is guilty of pretending that this can be achieved by turning the clock back to Victorian production systems it is usually the single issue campaign groups and certainly not the industry. Fairytales? If you really want an example of cringe-making anthropomorphism CLICK HERE