Molly Biddell: Why I’m on board with beavers as a farmer

I have a mini-identity crisis every time someone asks me what I do. Do I say farmer? Environmentalist? Natural capital consultant? I recently described myself as an eco-anxious farming feminist.

The truth is I, like so many other people working in this sector, straddle job titles, and perspectives.

See also: Opinion – bring the ‘future change-makers’ into farming

About the author

Molly Biddell

Molly Biddell works on her family’s farm in Surrey, in tandem with her role as head of natural capital at Knepp Estate. She previously spent time working in a research team for a rural consultancy firm, after graduating from Cambridge with a geography degree. 

Read more articles by Molly Biddell

This has become very apparent on the recent birth of our beaver kits at Knepp, the first beavers to be born in Sussex for more than 500 years.

I wasn’t born a beaver enthusiast, but I have seen first hand what incredible ecological engineers these thick-toothed rodents are.

They do amazing things – increase water retention, reduce the impacts of drought, reduce downstream flood risk, filter water and create beautiful abundant wetland habitats (and they don’t eat fish, contrary to popular imagination). I am now very much on board with beavers.

Of course, I know that too many beavers in the wrong place can be detrimental to farming, but that doesn’t mean that we should rule out the positive impacts beavers can have in certain catchments.

Just as with trees, it’s about right beaver, right place. There is never one-size-fits-all when it comes to deciding what to do where on our crowded island. Nuance is key.

Nowhere is nuance more important than in debates on land use. Rightly so, this is a hot topic, but please can we stop with the polarisation.

I am so bored of stereotyped “us” against “them” arguments on how we should manage land. They’re not helpful.

Land management is incredibly complex, a constant balancing act of creating thriving businesses within intricate natural ecosystems.

This complexity is what makes farming and land management the most interesting business out there.

I can appreciate the role of beavers while being an NFU member; I feel strongly about both. We need to embrace nuance and get over politicised cliches.

If we are going to complete the very hard puzzle of putting our precious land to the very best use, we need to be open minded and focus on finding solutions, rather than revelling in disagreement.