Call for greater farmer-forester cooperation
25 March 2025
Foresters and farmers need to cooperate more closely and communicate more effectively to ensure better decisions are made on future land use.
A meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Forestry and Timber Security included a panel discussion: 'Farmers and foresters working together - what does that look like?'.
The panel had a wide range of voices, including David Edwards, Deputy CEO of the Food and Farming Commission, and Hywel Lloyd from Labour Coast and Country - as well as Anthony Geddes, Head of Investment at Euroforest Silviculture and Jillian Kennedy, Forest Manager with Scottish Woodlands Ltd.
Mr Edwards believed there was a strong appetite among farmers to plant trees, but at a modest agroforestry level, with a focus on environmental benefits. He thought larger commercial schemes involving farmers needed to be looked at a more landscape level.
He thought the forestry industry should be playing a much more significant role in the UK Government’s land use consultation, which opened at the end of January.
The consultation says: "England has limited land with growing demands being made of it. This consultation explores the land use changes implied by commitments to restore nature, support food production, improve climate resilience and deliver new housing and infrastructure."
Given that forestry has a central role to play in improving climate resilience and delivering new housing and infrastructure - and can help restore nature - the panel was asked if it should be a louder voice in the conversation? "Without a shadow of doubt," said Mr Edwards. "Forestry is massively under-represented - and maybe that’s on us (farming interests) as well as the forestry side."
Mr Edwards went on to suggest that the APPG on Forestry should organise a joint event with the APPG on Farming to discuss more effective working relationships in detail.