Will the new king continue to speak out for family farms?

During his many years as Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cornwall, the new King, Charles III, earned himself quite a reputation as an outspoken critic of various aspects of modern life, including what he frequently described as “industrial agriculture”.

He was also active, behind the scenes, in trying to influence the shape of policy developments, making speeches and writing to ministers to get his own views across – his so-called Black Spider memos, on account of his spidery handwriting.

See also: Scottish farmers form tractor guard of honour for the Queen

On the occasion of his 70th birthday in 2018, he was asked if such “activism” would continue once he became king. “No it won’t,” was his direct answer. “I’m not that stupid. I do realise it’s a separate exercise being sovereign.”

And again in his first speech as monarch last week he declared: “It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply.”

Whether he sticks to that remains to be seen. He is obviously passionate about farming and rural matters, and his soon-to-be weekly meetings with the prime minister will maintain his touchpoint with politics.

It seems pertinent, therefore, to look back at some of the new king’s previous views and pronouncements on matters agricultural.

Industrial agriculture

There is no doubting King Charles’ commitment to and preference for organic farming, having converted the whole 770ha Duchy Home Farm in Tetbury, Gloucestershire to organic back in 1995, and introduced rare breeds to maintain genetic diversity.

His antagonism to industrial agriculture was most recently revealed in an address to the 22nd World Congress of Soil Science in Glasgow, where he described soil as “absolutely critical for delivering the ecosystem services on which we all rely”, saying it had been “disastrously degraded by industrialised agriculture”.

He also called for financial assistance to encourage more regenerative farming.

Climate change

In his previous role, King Charles was an impassioned advocate of climate change mitigation, seeing the decarbonisation of conventional agriculture as a key priority.

It was therefore no coincidence that, in June this year, the Duchy of Cornwall published its first Net-zero Carbon Report, setting out exactly how it plans to become carbon neutral by the early 2030s, including transition plans for tenants and a widespread tree-planting programme.

Family farms

Supporting the small family farm was also fundamental to King Charles’ work as Duke of Cornwall, speaking out on numerous occasions to remind people (policymakers included) about the importance of local food networks.

Writing for Farmers Weekly in 2020 as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award, the first reference he made was to the “resilience, adaptability and ingenuity” of family farms, which he described as “the backbone of our rural communities”.

He also instigated a huge amount of practical help, principally through the activities of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, which has poured more than £1m/year into various initiatives over 10 years, to help family farms improve their business performance or survive any number of crises.

Young people

Throughout his time as duke, he was also keen to ensure young people got the help they needed to better themselves, including through the provision of a rural start-up fund and college bursaries.

He was also keen to help young people gain a first step on the farming ladder, preferring to let his Duchy farms as a going concern to a new entrant, rather than break it up to help existing tenants spread their costs – even though this might provide more revenue.

Being organic was not a prerequisite for a new tenant, but a strong sense of environmental responsibility most certainly was.

Future approach

So, will the new king continue to speak out on rural issues, and should he?

According to Patrick Holden, chief executive of the Sustainable Food Trust and a long-term friend of King Charles, it is unlikely, but not impossible.

“The role is different and he will no longer be able to spend as much time and energy on supporting all the numerous causes that he’s been so brilliant at supporting for all these years,” he said.

“The question is whether he can, within the boundaries of the monarch, continue to influence debates about climate change, industrial agriculture and the environment, in ways which are harmonious with his role.

“The issues we are confronting as a human species are literally issues of survival and, if King Charles can be an influence without overstepping the mark, I for one hope that he is able to do so.”

A Duchy tenant’s impressions of King Charles

© Charles Sainsbury- Plaice

Duchy of Cornwall tenant and new entrant Kevin Hughes has one word to describe King Charles in his time as his landlord – “amazing!”

Mr Hughes was awarded the tenancy of Hill Barn Farm, Lyde in Herefordshire in 2017. At the time the farm extended to 93ha and the herd of milking Jerseys amounted to 175 animals. But, with the support and enthusiasm of the Duchy offices, that business has now grown to 300 milkers, with 140 followers, farmed over a tenanted area of 255ha.

“King Charles has helped us enormously, helping us grow our business and extend our house. He really cared for our wellbeing as farmers,” said Mr Hughes. “He is passionate about the next generation – the people who will continue to feed the population.”

Mr Hughes also praised King Charles’s deep knowledge of farming – especially the low input, grass-based system practiced at Hill Barn Farm.

“I have met him several times in our four years here, both on the farm and at gatherings at Highgrove. He always asked us about the Jersey cows and farming system.

“He also remembered where I originally came from in Carmarthenshire, and once quipped how they let me get past security at Highgrove. It’s when you meet him on a one-to-one basis that you absorb his presence and he sort of absorbs yours.”