Willum. Problem of alienation between rural and urban understandings. There is a need of education so that people understand rural life

Archbp Referred to need of communities of understanding

Chris German experience at Wurtemburg, rural congregations linking with urban links

Archbp Gap between town and country as vast as the gap between UK’s understanding of Africa. Urban tends to see country as place of leisure

Barry Powers that be have marginalised housing in villages putting property outside the price range of established villagers

Jack Current problems destroying communities as happened with Nottinghamshire mining villages, steel towns. Issues affect real people. What will be our perspective when we look back in 25 years?

Archbp Currently a family dimension to farming. Who will own farming in the future?

Jack Very large businesses

Tim Leadership & decision making more remote. Farmers provide continuity in communities, now becoming marginalised in communities. Rural clergy have problems of remoteness because of rushing round more villages.

Trevor. Some Farmers are stuck in farming and have no economic escape. Public perception is that there is no crisis. Problems and solutions are not in farmers hands. There needs to be an exit strategy yet if too many exit there will not be those serving the community, such as using his tractor to pull a referee’s car out of the mud.

Ann. Remark made recently by farmer buying fuel for car " there goes a ton of wheat". Costs bear little relation to prices. A land agent reports dealing with all the big boys. 5 estates pushed into one

Richard European dimension effects prices, not least weakness of euro. Wat is happening in Europe?

Chris FCN says effects Europe wide with variations, but particularly bad here

Archbp In France have seen farming militancy. Two forms of militancy e.g. Jarrow march as an example of how desperation can become a lever for positive action. Within the democratic framework how can voices be raised?

Bp Will it be election issue? Probably not

Tim Must be part of the democratic process. Response is part of wider concern about rural life and communities not just hunting

Catherine Time is an issue for farmers.

Bp Church has role, but what & how? Is there a possibility of links at a diocesan level?

? Farmers are stoical. Crisis has shown an incredible need to talk

Trevor You can get 50 farmers to an NFU meeting but 250 for a Farmers For Action picket!

Archbp There is a need for a theology of protest How can people be got to own the crisis. Is a literature campaign effective. Picketing is OK if not willfully aimed at a specific group

Tim May need a crisis to change things. There has been no defining moment. The Church needs to focus the issues & strike a deeper cord with public.

Ita Issue of stewardship of land for the next and future generations

Willum Education of the media is a problem. John Humphreys needs to be in touch with reality. The subsidy situation has got into the problem in urbanites perception of the reality of rural living. The Church needs to speak on community’s behalf.

Archbp This relates to stewardship and the need to look for long term answers.

Jack The view that we should allow nature (i.e. market forces) to take its course is not an option. We are now importing milk from central Europe because of cheapness. We live in a "Me" society; I consume therefore I am. Society has become cynical disconnected cheap & savage. The effects are de-civilising

Ann There needs to be stewardship of the stock of farmers which is dwindling with a detrimental effect on rural institutions (e.g. Church)

Barry S. Contrary to urban/suburban perceptions the landscape is man made, the product of farming.

Chris. There is a need to recognise power structures and both to challenge Christians in the power structures & the structures themselves

Archbp There is a power of globalization which is not necessarily bad as we live in a global village.

Chris The ideology to be confronted. He reported a conversation at Seattle "we believe in liberalisation like believing the gospel". Ironic that this nonsense is believed in Christian countries!

Archbp Seattle demonstrations made an impact as did the Jubilee 2000. There needs be the power of protest alongside other methods to get over the "range rover" syndrome and sound-byte media.

Bp A Professor interviewed on radio at time of BSE said of beef farmers "they can always go into pigs"

Archbp There is an ideological thinking about liberalisation which will benefit the rich.

Jack Supermarkets indicate that the benefits of free trade are falling into the hands of a few

Archbp We believe that British farming is best. Why is the best not winning in the market?

Jack RASE expect there to be only 5,000 farming business by 2020

Ann Isn’t this the Russian experience of few centrally controlled farms?

Barry H The supermarkets will buy the cheapest they can. The result will be a few big agri-businesses and little other food production

Jack The economic cycle will change

Tim The midlands have particular problems being caught between two stools, not suitable for large scale as in the east of the country but not environmentally as scenic as holiday areas.

Bp What is happening with training the next generation?

Richard The core farming stock is suffering at Moulton, peripheral subjects e.g. horticulture OK

Trevor His farm (circa 200 acres) produces part his income, non-farming activities the other. The middle size farms of circa 6/700 acreage are under real stress. Future seems to be either amalgamation or smaller part timer farmers

Chris The reference to the Soviet Union important. Their agriculture failed because agriculture is intensely local. Centrally controlled units are no good for the long term

Archbp The morning had been an important seminar raising issues the Church wants to carry forward. We are concerned for farming.

These notes produced by Robert Barlow, Rural Officer Peterborough Diocese.