 |  | Article by Michael Barker, agricultural consultant
Prince Charles, voted Farm Personality of 2002 by Farmers Weekly magazine, is bringing much needed public attention to the increasingly desperate plight of UK farmers.
Towards the end of 2002, figures showed farm incomes were continuing to fall - although at a lesser pace than the previous year - and there was still no sign of them bottoming out.
Appalled by this news, Prince Charles recently took the opportunity to chide public bodies such as the National Health Service (NHS), armed forces and educational authorities for sourcing their food from abroad at the expense of UK farmers.
Reiterating his deep concern, expressed at both the Royal Show and the Smithfield Show, he said it was "sheer folly" for the UK not to be self-sufficient in food.
 If we don't use our farmers we will lose them and along with it much more than just food.
 | Μύ | Michael Barker
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The Prince's critics - including many farmers - have in the past been quick to snub his romantic vision of the rural idyll. Given his strong anti-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) stance and penchant for all things organic, he makes an unlikely winner of this much coveted prize.
Mainstream agriculture in the UK is still dominated by conventional farming techniques and is largely backed by deeply conservative farmers. But here, I believe, the Prince has struck a chord that should run deep not only with UK farmers, but with policy makers, supermarkets and consumers alike.
| Μύ |  | Produce from a small local grower
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With increasingly unstable markets around the world and war looming in the Gulf, much of this international trade is dependant on supply chains that involve vast amounts of transport.
As policy makers and supermarkets continue to favour overseas producers, the likelihood is many of our small farmers will go to the wall.
It has been estimated that nearly 20,000 farmers left the land in 2002, taking with them the integral threads of a complex tapestry of wisdom, management and experience that has been passed down from generation to generation and is irreplaceable.
Agriculture is more than just a science, it is an art and one that cannot be learnt overnight.
For many years farmers have been lambasted for the subsidies they have been obliged to accept from the European Union (EU).
As a consequence, they have had poor public relations with consumers. Over the coming years, farmers will be increasingly exposed to the vagaries of the world market.
EU and world trade rules (WTO) and the lowering of barriers to trade are at the heart of the matter. As farmers around the world compete for world markets we can only expect more unorthodox practices, exploitation of our natural resources and food insecurity.
If we don't use our farmers we will lose them and along with it much more than just food.
Your views
If you would like to comment on this article or any of the issues it raises, please email us using the link on the right.
So far, Valerie Patchett has got in touch, with the following comments:
"I fully agree with Prince Charles being voted Farm Personality of the Year 2002. He has done more to publicise the plight of farmers and point out the stupidity of importing vast amounts of food items from abroad that could be supplied in this country, than anyone else.
He has also proved that organic farming can be viable through the success of Highgrove produce which is supplied to supermarkets throughout the U.K. He is an authority on all things agricultural and really "knows his onions".
It's about time that credit was given where credit is due. Prince Charles could just sit back and do nothing, but instead he finds out what is needed and sets about finding the answers and contacting the right people to get something done. I hope he never gets discouraged by all the criticism levelled at him by people who never do anything constructive."
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