Farming and Food Supplies: The Case for Expansion of British Agriculture

In the 1960s, the farming industry of Britain had been transformed and modernised to the point where output per person was the highest in Europe. Many farmers reasoned from this that there should be expansion of agriculture rather than restriction, and that the natural resources of Britain should be developed to the full. Originally published in 1965, this book examines the case for further expansion against the background of mass hunger and rising population in many parts of the world. The case rests upon three premises. The first is that the farming industry is now making an indispensable contribution to the national economy. The second is that the industry is capable of further development in output and efficiency. The third is that there is likely to be a scarcity of food on the world markets over the next twenty to thirty years rather than a surplus.

Margaret Bramley believed that the final choice of policy should be based upon the long-term interests of the whole community, not upon the sectional interests of farmers, food importers or distributors. She said it was essential to recall how vulnerable as a small densely populated island Britain is, with half our food at the time coming from overseas.

With recent world events bringing the subject of food distribution to the fore, the book’s advocacy of expansion of British farming resonates strongly again today.