David Attenborough’s latest drama, Deserted Island, is delightful, surprising and harrowing. His uncanny insight into the natural world is inspiring. But, as he points out, the UK is one of the most resource-poor places on earth.
Soil Association CEO Helen Browning to speak at SMALL IS THE FUTURE event Will be held on Saturday 17 June 2023. Speakers include Dr Ann Pettifor, Charlie Hertzog Young and Professor Gareth Dale Herbert Girardet. Tickets for the online event are now on sale for £3!
He reveals shocking statistics. Over the past 50 years, 38 million birds have disappeared from our skies, 97 percent of wildflower meadows have disappeared, and one in four mammals is now at risk of extinction.
Nature’s Advocates point out in the prairie episode that historic habitat loss from intensified farming has led to dramatic declines in bird populations. In short, Britain’s wildlife is in trouble.
turbulent
But the damage is not irreversible, as highlighted in the highly anticipated documentary Save Our Wild Islands, now available on BBC iPlayer. There is a way of farming that doesn’t rely on destructive pesticides and instead focuses on creating a home for the predatory insects that eat crop pests.
There is a way of farming that uses plants to fertilize the soil and refuses to use chemical products that pollute our land and waters.this is farming organically.
Facing nature in crisis and Wildlife increases on average 50% on organic farmsorganic being seen as niche, exclusive or radical is a grave injustice to people, farmers and nature.
For more than 50 years, organic farmers have been pioneering the conservation of nature above and below ground. Banning the use of harmful chemicals has increased the total number of species on their farms by an average of one-third, including 50 percent of pollinators and 20 percent of birds.
Ironically, only about 3% of UK farmland is organic. But there is hope—change is on the horizon. Nature-friendly farming is booming in UK farming.
Incentives
While fully certified organic farms are still a minority, the farming principles and methods that underpin the organic movement are beginning to be seen as an important solution to restoring nature.
The rise of organic pioneers and regenerative agroecology has shown that it is entirely possible for agriculture to make room for nature. Wildlife is vital to the production of high-quality food.
The people behind the Saving Our Wild Isles documentary and campaign argue that nature is our lifeblood. We cannot live without it. Farming in harmony with wildlife need not seem like a luxury – it should and can be a priority.
