After World War II, the Government adopted a policy that encouraged farmers to produce much more food because of concerns about hunger and low self-sufficiency.
Countryside Agency Archive

Breadcrumbs

Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry

Tractor ploughing field
After World War II, the Government adopted a policy that encouraged farmers to produce much more food because of concerns about hunger and low self-sufficiency.


Compared with the 1940s, three times more wheat and barley per hectare is produced and cows now produce twice the volume of milk. The increases in output have been extraordinary, but unfortunately this has come at a cost to the countryside and rural communities.

To conserve and enhance the English countryside and create thriving rural areas, our natural and social environments must be bound more closely together. The Countryside Agency places a strong emphasis on promoting sustainable agriculture that makes better use of available natural and human resources, minimises inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides that can be damaging to the environment, and allows farmers to stay on the land and produce quality food. 

Eat the View supports products from sustainable land management systems that:

  • maintain and improve the key resources of soil, water and air 
  • meet animal welfare and environmental standards 
  • minimise all forms of pollution 
  • support the full diversity of plant and wildlife habitats across their natural range 
  • consider the wider social and ecological impacts of the production and processing systems utilised 
  • value and protect landscapes that are rich in local character and distinctiveness 
  • help restore damaged rural landscapes 
  • provide employment in new and existing businesses in the rural economy 
  • provide opportunities for public enjoyment through sustainable recreation and tourism. 
  • strengthen relationships with local communities 
  • create robust and adaptable rural economies