Over the last months I spent some of my time providing evidence for 2 enquiries linked to the parliamentary process in Wales and in the UK. In each case I felt that the work I conducted in Wales over the last 3 years was casting a slightly different light to the usual ways those issues were framed. Aside from presentations I had the opportunity to conduct to civil servants within the Welsh government and Defra over the last year -which content is publicly available on this website- it is another area where I turn the work I conducted and that many took part in into trying to impact positively the debate with new evidence.
In september I contributed individually to the Senedd Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee evidence gathering on the Welsh Government’s new regulations to control agricultural pollution. Contrary to other submissions I took an historical rural and agricultural development perspective to the current NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zone) problem, framing it as a systemic issue that is unlikely to be adressed properly by a blanket approach.
In November with my colleague Aimee Morse (PhD student at the CCRI) we led the evidence gathering for a submission to the Welsh Affair Committee of the UK Parliament. Focusing on the economic and cultural impacts of trade and environmental policy on family farms in Wales. 5 of us at CCRI including Prof. Janet Dwyer, Chris Short and Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins took part in the drafting of this submissions. Our recommendations were specifically taylored to adapt to what could be done at the UK level to support Welsh family farms and the multi-folds service they provide to the countryside. We therefore delivered a strongly evidenced submission with strong and targeted recommendations.
We live through difficult times for farming and I already explained that I believe we stand at a fork in the road, in this case, trying to showcase our experience that we get from our work in the Countryside is important as a way to deliver on the help we receive everyday.
Update April 2022: The report of the committee is now available, little is mentioned from our research while we were offering an evidence-based approach to the socio-cultural and environmental role of Welsh family farms.
Théo Lenormand.
