Deliberating Imperatives for food security Rob Fish

What is deliberative polling? In a nutshell technique where participants are surveyed individually about an issue before and after a process of extended group discussion Technique allows researchers to chart whether and how views change about food security discourse when exposed to wider interpretations of issue. We conducted a deliberative poll with 33 livestock farmers in mid Devon on the back of larger survey of 1500 across the south west.

Friday night in Hatherleigh!

E.G. To what extent do you agree with the following statements The UK should be producing more of its own food. 2.The UK has a responsibility to increase food production to help feed a growing world population 3.Rising world demand for food is a market opportunity for UK agriculture 4.We cannot produce more food in the UK without also compromising its nutritional quality 5.We cannot produce more food in the UK without also compromising the environment 6.We cannot produce more food in the UK without also compromising animal welfare goals 7.The long term future for UK agriculture looks generally positive 8.There is a viable future for farming in this area

First round polling Strong agreement for the production imperative of food security discourse –National self sufficiency resonates very strongly (30) –Imperative represents a ‘market opportunity’ for most (25) –Divided on the idea of ‘Responsibilities’ to produce’ (19) Coupled with strong agreement that environmental, nutritional and welfare aspects of food production are not jeopardized by accelerating food production

Talking about food security Initial reactions. Historical precedent Rhetorical mistrust of discourse General tone: Tendency to interrogate critically the underpinning assumptions and priorities guiding political and economic responses to food in-security

Talking about food security Point 1 There is a mismatch between some respondents normative ‘world view’ of this agenda and capacities to respond Participants made an essentially critical assessment of incentives and priorities to produce. [“they say we’re low, but they keep selling us short”] In different ways participating farmers do not feel able to produce more food in economically viable ways.

Talking about food security Point 2 Participants made a wider, and again generally critical, assessment of the sustainability contexts in which expanding productive capacity would occur. Farmers critiqued widely the resource dependences, inefficiencies and negative externalities of the contemporary agro- food system.

Talking about food security Point 3 Participants were concerned that current arrangements for food supply are predicated on a system that is jeopardizing the very systems of local agriculture that can rise to the challenge of sustainable intensification. Much talk of the underutilization of grassland systems; underperforming capacity

Talking about Food Security Point 4 For some food security is translated into a perceived threat to national food supplies; “We are an island. They [sic] could easily cut [food] off, you know, from coming in here” “I think what is frightening really is the Chinese and the Indians are a third of the world population.[ ].and if their economies keep going up, they are going to cream off all the food that is available” A pretext upon which the family farm may be able re-assert itself. “I think livestock farming could step up”; “I can see west country farming coming into its own”

Second polling results.... The idea that the UK should be producing more of its own food remains strong. But overall “softening” of views over course of event. People tend to moderate their views. e.g. –A sense of moral responsibility wanes as the group talks more! –People become more suspect that the food security represents a world market opportunity. –Less certainty over environmental and nutritional aspects. It’s perhaps good to talk! Farmers were more positive about the future as a result!

Farm platform panel

Deliberating Imperatives for food security Rob Fish Centre for Rural Policy Research