In Wales – as elsewhere in the UK – the pandemic exposed the risks of excessively specialising in sheep and cattle for export. This was already a concern due to Brexit, which will end subsidies and reduce markets, and a broader consumer trend to eat less meat. Lockdown brought a sudden dearth of vegetables and a glut of lamb. Shocked consumers are calling for a more reliable local supply. Welsh hill farmers are looking for new revenue streams either by planting crops or charging for ecosystem services, such as flood control, wildlife habitat and peatlands that absorb carbon dioxide.
“This pandemic gives us the permission to think differently,” says former Welsh environment minister Jane Davidson. “The UK government, particularly in a post-Brexit scenario, has the biggest opportunity since 1974 to redefine the role of food in the economy and to create the stewards of the land to ensure the country is resilient.”