The Countryside Alliance has criticised politicians in Stormont for portraying Northern Ireland farming families as “as the problem”, rather than recognising them “as essential partners in caring for the countryside”.
This follows recent political debate at Stormont around countryside protection, wildlife loss and pollution.
According to Countryside Alliance, “many farmers feel they are being asked to take on ever-greater responsibility, with a lack of clarity, consultation or confidence that their businesses will remain viable”.
The alliance said Northern Ireland’s countryside is “shaped by generations of farmers who have worked the land, maintained hedgerows, cared for livestock and preserved the character of rural landscapes”.
“These are not abstract environmental issues for farming families; this is their home, their livelihood and their legacy,” it said.
“Farmers have a direct stake in healthy soils, clean water and resilient ecosystems.
“No one benefits from polluted rivers, degraded land or declining wildlife, least of all those who rely on the land day in, day out.”
The organisation stated there is a broad agreement that Northern Ireland faces serious environmental challenges, including biodiversity decline and water quality pressures.
However, the Countryside Alliance noted that many of these problems have a lot of causes, “with many of them being decades in the making”.
It cited the following as other factors playing a role in this:
- Ageing wastewater infrastructure;
- Urban development;
- Historic planning decisions;
- Long-standing government policy that encouraged food production without matching environmental investment.
The organisation said reducing these complex issues to a single sector risks “oversimplifying the problem and unfairly burdening farmers with a responsibility that should be shared across society”.
Countryside Alliance has laid out a clear list that can help policy support farmers and deliver practical results:
- Meaningful engagement with farmers before decisions are made;
- Policies grounded in real farm economics, not theory;
- Adequate funding for environmental measures;
- Recognition of regional and sectoral differences.
“Farmers are not an obstacle to environmental progress, they are essential allies,” it said.
“With the right support, respect and understanding, Northern Ireland’s countryside can remain productive, resilient and rich in wildlife for generations to come.”
The organisation called on Stormont to start rebuilding trust with the people who manage the countryside “if they are serious about protecting nature”.
