What France Gets Right About Farming That Britain Still Doesn’t
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A visit to France highlights the stark contrast between how farming is valued across the Channel and why British agriculture continues to struggle for the recognition it deserves.
It is really important to take some time away from work and recharge the batteries, and this year I was lucky enough to have a family holiday in the Dordogne region of France.
Most Francophiles say that the quality of the food and drink and the slow pace of life are two of the big attractions of that country. That is the reason that so many Brits have upped sticks and moved permanently to the other side of the Channel.
On our homeward journey we dropped in to say hello to some farming friends who have done just that – left behind their farm in Hertfordshire and settled near Confolens, where they now raise beef cattle and sheep. It was interesting to hear how different the attitude towards agriculture is in France compared to the UK. Although they only moved out six months ago, their farming lives have been transformed.
There are lots of specifics which make life easier over there: the ability to choose whether to depreciate capital items, the lack of capital gains tax, and a government rebate of €50 a tonne on fertiliser to mitigate the spike in costs being just three.
But what really struck me was the completely different attitude to food and farming in France, not just among the rural community, but in the wider population. People are much more willing to pay for good food, which means that output prices are much higher (one shop was selling cauliflowers for nearly €6.00 each, for example).
A perfect illustration of the practical results of this is that just 14.2% of household food purchases in France are ultra-processed foods, against 50.7% in the UK.
Life is made easier for farmers across the Channel in other ways, too. The planning process, generally overseen by the local mayor, is much more light touch than in Britain. And, of course, being in the EU, Area Subsidy payments and Headage payments for livestock are still available.
My friends report that making the move to France was not straightforward; it’s a long and bureaucratic process but they are not alone, there are many other ex-pats who are enjoying the more positive agricultural environment. Even after just six months in the country, they have come to realise just how undervalued farming is in the UK, and how little consumers are prepared to pay for their food.
What is clear is that however many individual initiatives there might be to support agriculture in this country, until farming is culturally valued by the whole population, it will always be the poor relation in this country.
Tom Corfield is agricultural partner at Arnolds Keys – Irelands Agricultural.
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