Does the foot and mouth outbreak mean we must return to natural farming methods?
The foot and mouth problem is a complicated issue and I am not sure there is a simple answer. But it is worth looking at the facts. Meat consumption has been slowly but steadily decreasing for several years. Consumers don’t want to eat meat as often, or in such quantity, as our parents and grandparents did. Yet, absurdly, farmers continue to produce more meat than is neccesary. There is no doubt that what is happening at the moment is a tragedy for the animals, the farmers and the countryside economy. The only possible glimmer of good that can come out of this disaster is that it encourages us to rethink the way our meat is produced and slaughtered and, just as importantly, whether our farmland is being put to the most appropriate use for today’s eating patterns.
