Food, farming and rural relationships with the land

Over the past 50 years agriculture, land use and food systems have dramatically altered on a global scale. Industrial scale agricultural systems have intensified and mechanised farming, driving people out of rural jobs and altering the landscape of the countryside for people and nature. Artificial fertilisers and market demands for bigger, better and faster food have caused a reduction in the nutritional content in our meat and vegetables and there has consequently been catastrophic impact on the climate, rural communities and our relationship with the food we eat.

The food we eat impacts on our physical and mental health as does the opportunity to spend time in green spaces and have time in nature. These issues and the impact that they will continue to have into the future will be the subject of this chapter. Engaging social work practitioners in environmental and agricultural issues will give them the opportunity to advocate for better systems and creative solutions. Dealing with issues such as food poverty and the stigma around this in rural communities and putting perspectives of green social work into practice, maybe part of the answer to a brighter future.