Western Morning News (Saturday)
Public show gratitude for our farmed landscapes
THE farmed landscape of the South West played a crucial role in helping to maintain people’s mental and physical wellbeing during lockdown, a new survey has revealed.
The research, commissioned by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), found that 57% of those in the region who had visited the countryside since March 2020 felt that the experience had improved their wellbeing.
Meanwhile, 43% admitted that their appreciation of the British countryside and the farmed landscape had increased over the past 12 months.
Just over a fifth of people (22%) said they spent between 16 and 20 hours a month outdoors, with most people (32%) spending three to five hours a month out in the country.
These regional figures form part of a wider national picture with the NFU survey, conducted by Censuswide, speaking to more than 2,000 British people outside of rural areas across England and Wales.
Across the UK, 87% of respondents who visit the British countryside and farmland said visits to Britain’s farmed landscape had improved their physical and mental wellbeing, and nearly half (47%) said they valued the British countryside and farmland more since the pandemic began.
Of those, 84% agree their visits had made them appreciate the role farmers play creating and managing our iconic rural landscapes.
Stuart Roberts, deputy president of the NFU, said: “The results from this survey clearly show the public’s huge appreciation of the benefits the British countryside offers to the nation, and that they recognise the valuable role farmers play in creating our iconic landscapes. British farmers not only produce our food, but they play a vital role maintaining, protecting and enhancing the landscape that has helped all of our mental health.
“More people than ever before have been visiting farmland over the past year and the appreciation we’ve seen from the public for the respite the farmed landscape has provided has been fantastic to see.”
Mr Roberts added: “As farmers, we love to see walkers out enjoying our landscape and asking questions about what’s happening in the fields or what food we’re producing from our farms.”
With many restrictions being imposed due to lockdown, enjoying the South West’s farmed landscape became even more important for many with 35% of respondents saying they had spent more time walking in, or visiting, the region’s countryside. This trend looks set continue, as the difficulties of holidaying abroad mean more of us are thinking of a staycation at home. Fifty five per cent of people who normally holidayed abroad said they were planning a break in the UK this year.
The increasing number of people visiting the countryside has caused problems on occasion for farmers and landowners, but the vast majority of respondents (77%) said they were either “fully or partially aware” of the Countryside Code, with 23% saying they were “unaware” of it.