Welsh farmers are helping to boost the nation’s confidence by producing quality food we can be proud of, the Archbishop of Wales said this week.
But he warned our “daily bread” was not something we could take for granted and the labour of farmers reminded us about the precariousness of working on the land across the world.
The Archbishop was speaking at an NFU Cymru reception at the Senedd, the home of the National Assembly for Wales, in Cardiff Bay, last week. The event was held to celebrate Welsh food at harvest time of year.
He said, “Harvest is about giving thanks, as indeed is this food festival. But it is easy to give thanks in a superficial kind of way because most of us take the fact that we are fed daily for granted. That’s not the case in many parts of the world. For many people in the world, a slice of bread or a bowl of rice is literally life or death. You, as farmers, can remind us of that because you are close to the land and realise the precariousness of growing crops and rearing animals.
“This celebration event also reminds us of the place of the farming community here in Wales, with your excellent conservation practices and the need to care for and preserve the land. The earth is not property to be exploited but a trust to be nurtured for the betterment of ourselves and the benefit of others.”
He added, “You have helped Wales to have a new confidence in itself as a nation by being proud to advertise Welsh milk, Welsh lamb, Welsh pork, Welsh cheese, Welsh butter and you should be proud because these are excellent products, able to compete with anything produced in any other part of the world. It’s good to celebrate that fact.”
Ed Bailey, NFU Cymru President said, “This time of year is particularly poignant for farmers since it’s harvest time but we are cognisant of the fact that farmers need to look beyond the farm gate and that the Welsh food sector is not just a growing opportunity, forgive the pun, for primary producers but for the Welsh economy as a whole.”
Ed Bailey hosted the lunchtime event which was financially sponsored by the Food, Fish and Market Development department of the Welsh Assembly Government. The Archbishop and
Elin Jones, the Rural Affairs Minister were the main speakers at the event which gave those present a ‘taste’ of what Wales has to offer.
Students from the Welsh college of Horticulture in Flintshire were given the task by NFU Cymru to come up with a traditional harvest festival display for the event. The team of students and their tutor, Jennifer Wallis, designed and produced a dramatic display which was made out of straw, wheat, fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers that had been grown in Wales.
Elin Jones, Rural Affairs Minister, said, “Food production is a huge part of the Welsh economy. Welsh land continues to be farmed by family farms and producing food is our raison d’etre of farming. Wales offers a variety of quality products from lamb and beef to whiskey, cheese and chocolates.”
Photograph: Elin Jones, Ed Bailey, Paul Davies – AM for Preseli Pembrokeshire and the Archbishop of Wales
