Celebrating Diversity in Farming

Diverse pastures on the Mendip Hills, Somersert.

In our society we are actively encouraged to celebrate cultural diversity and create an inclusive environment. We also increasingly hear about biodiversity (or the lack of it) which refers to the variety of all living things on Earth. But how often do we talk about the diversity in our farms and all the benefits that it brings?

Our understanding of the benefits of diversity in the human race, our ethnicity, gender, age, beliefs, sexual orientation and beliefs is much improved. Understanding people who are different to us helps to foster greater understanding and respect for one another.

We are now learning how biodiversity is essential for the benefits we derive from nature, including food, clean air, water and climate regulation. A wide range of species with genetic diversity makes ecosystems better equipped to adapt to challenges like disease and climate change. But, meanwhile, the diversity of our farms is in decline and this threatens the diversity of the food available to us, the resilience of our security and the biodiversity in our landscapes.

In February 2025 House of Commons data commissioned and analysed by the Liberal Democrats showed that British farm numbers had fallen by nearly a quarter in 18 years. In the period from 2005 to 2023 over 30,000 farm holdings were lost (22.7%). The total number of dairy farms more than halved, falling from 18,910 in 2005 to 9,083 in 2023, whilst 10,000 cereal farms were lost in the same period. This has lead to a big drop in the diversity of farms we have left.

The diversity of the farms we have left is made up of many things - such as where the farm is situated, altitude, the topography of the land, the soil type, local flora and fauna, local traditions and the climate. In addition, the different types and varieties of crops grown, the different species and breeds of livestock adopted and the management practices used, all contribute to that diversity.

In a similar way to that in which greater biodiversity benefits our world, a rich tapestry of many different, small farms is key to delivering reliable supplies of healthy, sustainable and great tasting food. Yet we continue to allow them to give up and cease production. Whilst a shift towards industrial-scale monoculture can deliver economic benefits through economies of scale, it creates a simplified ecosystem that cannot withstand environmental shocks. It can also lead to nutrient imbalances, damage to soil structure and a reduction in the soil microbiome.

As consumers we may think that our food choices are growing every day, but I am talking about real food here - not the manufacturing of convenient concoctions of synthetic ingredients (food engineering as someone recently referred to it). In reality we are increasingly being fed a diet of bland commodity food that is differentiated only by engineering. Convenient, but costly to our health and the planet.

Last weekend the stunningly colourful Notting Hill Carnival took place. It was a wonderful display and celebration of diversity. Our precious family farms present a year round carnival of colour and diversity in the fields they tend, the livestock they keep and the food they produce. You can make choices, you can celebrate this diversity in the food you buy.

Small, family farms have evolved to make the most of the natural resources found in the area in which they sit. Through generations farmers have learned what naturally grows well on their land and what species and breeds of farm animals thrive in the local environment. Their farms are woven into the tapestry of the landscape and are as diverse in their activities and methodology as the plants and wildlife that occupy the same space. Traditional skills and methods are still valued and applied, because they were honed from experience of that place and a strong connection with nature.

If you were to travel around the UK on a glorious food trail, buying from different farms in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland along the way, you would see for yourself the amazing diversity of our small farms. You would be amazed at the choice of food on offer and how similar products have subtle differences in taste in different regions. Your life would be enriched by a greater understanding of the fact that it is the farming behind your food determines its eating quality and its true value.

The French have a saying 'vive la difference' which roughly translates into English as 'long live the difference'. A farming industry rich in diversity and difference is one of our richest assets and feeds us well, so long live the diversity I say.

At the same time that diversity is vital in order to safeguard the food security of these isles. Farming needs to be resilient and it needs to be regenerative. We need to find ways to address growing challenges in terms of increasing populations, fossil fuel use and climate change. At the same time, we need to restore the health of our soils rather than continually depleting them and we need to protect our waterways and wildlife habitats.

But for all these things to happen, we need a real food revolution and that begins with forging closer connections between farmers and consumers. We need to know farmers as individuals and recognise and reward them for their skills and knowledge. And for this to happen we need to ensure we have small, family farms spread throughout communities across the land.

Please support them and buy direct from them whenever you can. Visit our website to find out more.