OUR LAND IS FOR GROWING ON

 

OUR LAND IS FOR GROWING ON

 

uniteLANDWORKER Summer 2025

The government’s ‘Our Vision for land use in England’ consultation document on food security, economic expansion and the environment has the potential to increase ‘green’ jobs and boost employment in the smaller agricultural machinery suppliers market, says soil scientist and Unite campaigner Dr Charlie Clutterbuck – but only if it aims to target increased food production at home

With the Britain set to be battered by prevailing trade winds, Charlie’s new website reveals how unproductive plots of land across the Western Pennines could be recultivated. It is a programme that could be developed nationwide - especially as under 1% of land is used for horticulture, largely growing fruits and vegetables.

This being overlooked under the ‘Our Vision’ consultation as each of the targets talked about are to do with the environment - e.g. trees, water, carbon & biodiversity.

But there are no targets for food.

This follows the last government’s prioritising of carbon offsetting, resulting in increasing number of businesses, including many from the City of London such as Standard Life and Aviva, buying  productive farmland and planting trees to profit from subsidies for ‘homegrown carbon credits.’ Large landowners are following suit.

“Today, I hear local business people say that they prefer to buy carbon credits. Worryingly, not so for food,” states Clutterbuck.  

England is a mosaic of different land uses, with two thirds of its area (67%) being agricultural while built-up areas take up 11% of land.

Charlie’s site is at https://sites.google.com/site/lookattheland/home/land-use-in-england

It is a virtual tour showing land use in the Western Pennines is changeable. Charlie knows as he once farmed there. It is not an easy task.

GPs can be employed by walkers on the 14 walking stages outlined stretching from Ilkley, via Hebden Bridge and Burnley, on to Pendle where the Witches perished for challenging the local landowners who evicted them from their farms.

Land reflects a lot of history, much of it about power and struggle. 

GPS can be employed by walkers for accuracy.  

Charlie’s aim “is to reveal how land may have looked in previous times, thus helping decide future patterns. We need to question how we could run the land better  - both for people and the planet. Much needs changing.”

The rewards though could be substantial. “By cutting our food imports, much of which is ultra-processed, from the current 50% we’d reduce travel miles, slicing our CO2 emissions.

“The current £5 billion countryside land-based subsidies should be concentrated on aiding smaller scale food production, thus increasing rural jobs and boosting demand for smaller farm machinery from companies manufacturing them. It is a win-win situation,” contends Clutterbuck.

Charlie’s site on land use: https://bit.ly/3HzoY84