[Fwd: Film Review: The Lie Of The Land by Molly dineen.]

[frazzel at riseup.net]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Film Review: The Lie Of The Land by Molly dineen.
From:    frazzel at riseup.net
Date:    Fri, January 11, 2008 9:44 am
To:      diggers350 at yahoogroups.com
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hi all,
The film "lie of the land" was broadcast on film four a couple of days
ago. molly statrted with filming the country side alliance demo, and then
stated that she wanted to see what life was like for britians farmers.
she stayed with some farmers who had small holdings. One farmer had the
odious job of driving around with a pick up truck, arriving at farms to
take away the dead animal (mostly cattle) carcasses which were then given
to the redundant fox hunting hounds to eat. On several occasions, he was
required to shoot a bullet in the head of a sick animal. Several times
this was done because the owner couldnt afford the vets bills inorder to
heal the sick animal. On other occasions, even a healthy calf was killed
simply because it was economically unviable for the owner to afford to
keep them. this was shocking to watch.
The points raised in the film were:
that supermarkets are like superpowers and the ordinary farmer feels
powerless to defend their livelihood from them.
the british govt ie DEFRA admitted to a farmer that Britains food security
and independence were not of an issue for concern.The effects of the govts
lack of concern is to result in almost all of our meat and diary produce
to be imported from abroad, causing more pollution and storing up future
problems if at some stage, we are left with hardly any farms in the
UK.Those that are more successful are the big agribusinessess which have
battery farming methods known for their cruelty to the animals. The recent
govt ruling that all eggs should be non-battery is a good thing, but in
practise, without a subsidy it will most likely mean more farmers out of
business and few eggs in the supermarkets from Britain.
all the subsidies that a farmer is entitled to relate to the environment
or sites of historical or scientific interest, or the preservation of
hedge rows, or protection of birds, etc, but absolutely no subsidies for
farm animals.
Many small farmers are forced out of business or have to change business.
some find it more profitable to grow daffodils than to have cattle or
sheep or goats.
the countryside is changing with more farms going out of business.
ironically this will affect hedgerows as the farmer traditionally is the
one who looks after them. more and more rich people are buying up second
homes. It is as if the govt is encouraging the  countryside to become a
playground for the rich.
the weakness of the film was that she didnt go and challenge DEFRA or the
govt and she didnt investigate whether or not the govt policy is in part
due to E.U directives, or the WTO.
she failed to analyse why britians farming is being deliberately 'run
down' and she didnt raise the arguments for more foood self-sufficiency.
Howver, it was an informative film as we got to see how many british
farmers feel totally let down and ignored by the govt. As one farmer said,
this is a labour govt but instead of supporting the small farmer,
everything about the govt is desigend to help the larger landowner because
it is they, with their stately homes which are eligible for subsidies from
DEFRA.

fran



"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" Martin Luther King


"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" Martin Luther King