Responding to the publication of the Government's Green Food Project, The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England has identified a number of challenges which the group say need to be addressed. The Green Food Project convened by Defra has been examining how the UK might meet the challenge of reconciling the goals of improving the environment and increasing food production in England, by bringing together government, industry and environmental partners. This was a commitment made in the Government’s Natural Environment White Paper. The report sets out the early conclusions from this project.

Ian Woodhurst, CPRE's Senior Farming Campaigner said: “If we are to meet the predicted increase in the demand for food with diminishing areas of land available for production and increasing strain on natural resources, we need to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past that created higher yields by sacrificing the environment.

“As CPRE did when we developed our Vision for the Future of Farming, the Green Food Project has also looked at many of the key issues relating to boosting food production. CPRE would like to see these considered as part of a much wider public debate on how we want our food to be produced in the future and what impact this might have on the countryside."

"The report is correct to state that, when it comes to balancing demands for food with environmental needs, our countryside needs to have ‘the right management in the right place’. To do this we will need two things: a more strategic approach to land use and food production so we can protect farm land from development; and well funded green farming schemes that can support farmers’ environmental management to prevent market forces doing ‘the wrong thing in the wrong place’ as has happened in the past."