ABSTRACT
The policy context for rural land in the UK has changed markedly over the past half century. During and immediately after World War II the overriding imperative was expansion of food production. Whatever land that could be brought into production was cultivated. Roadside verges sprouted crops, gardens were turned over to vegetables rather than flowers, and heathland and downland were ploughed. There was little concern for the costs or efficiency of production – supply of human labour was seen as the only limiting factor (Whetham, 1952). The experience reinforced a view that UK farm land was a precious national asset that warranted long-term protection. In the words of a war-time report on land utilization, ‘every agricultural acre counts’ (Scott Report, 1942).
