The conservation status and potential of elderly farmers: results from a survey in England and Wales
1992
Potter, Christopher J. | Lobley, M.
The significant amount of rural land that is presently under the ownership or management control of elderly farmers in the EC suggests an important future role for this section of the farming community as government subsidised producers of public environmental goods. This paper draws on a survey of farmers in England and Wales to test the hypothesis that farmers in old age are likely to be running down their holdings or in some way extensifying production in environmentally beneficial ways. It also assesses the willingness and ability of such farmers to enrol their land and farms into 'environmentally friendly' farming schemes. The results suggest that, where it occurs, running-down is most likely to take place on holdings without successors. Elderly farmers are willing to enrol in schemes, provided required changes in farming practice are small and can be accommodated within existing plans. Conservationists are increasingly interested in elderly farmers but it is still far from clear that elderly farmers are much interested in conservation.
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