Farmers help protect our natural assets – Barton

Speaking in the recent Northern Ireland Assembly debate on Nature-friendly farming Mrs Barton said: “Farmers have an inherent interest in maintaining their land and protecting the environment to ensure long-term productivity on their farm and enable the natural assets to be passed to the succeeding generation in a better condition.

“In supporting nature-friendly farming, a balance must be established between climate, biodiversity, food production and rural development.

“Nature-friendly farming demonstrates a way of farming that is helpful to wildlife, the environment and the climate while still producing top-quality produce.

“With the ever-increasing demand for food worldwide, its production must be balanced with nature, creating environmental sustainability.

“The use of more efficient methods of managing carbon emissions must be taken into account, as must the importance of fair prices being paid to ensure that farms are economically sustainable.”