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²ÝÁñÉçÇø Guardian's #FarmingCAN campaign has been used to demonstrate to MPs the range of benefits British farmers deliver for society and the risks ill thought-out Government policies pose to rural communities.

John Thorley, chair of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, has written to more than 100 MPs and private individuals highlighting research commissioned for #FarmingCAN which showed the value the public places on the countryside and the role farmers play.

The letter said: "This is an important campaign particularly at the present time as it identifies the part played by farming in grooming the landscape and making the countryside accessible to our urban and suburban friends."

Mr Thorley said the campaign had stuck a chord among sector chiefs and said policymakers needed to be made aware the industry was ‘being put in jeopardy by the policies of this Government even though our Prime Minister says he is in full support of the campaign'.

He pointed to policies around increased tree planting, reducing meat consumption by 30 per cent and removing the need for school meals to contain meat for at least three meals per week.

Consequences 

"The consequences of reduced land being available for livestock and crops could well have a negative effect on many family farms, leading to a potentially massive threat for the rural infrastructure," said Mr Thorley.

"The long-term effect of all this will have on the health of the nation hardly bears thinking about."

#FarmingCAN launched in April 2021 and since then has attracted support from a range of influential figures including Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

The campaign aims to celebrate and promote what British farming is already doing across 70 per cent of the British Isles, while also highlighting its potential, enthusiasm, and innovative spirit.