ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the challenges and prospects for growing more food, achieving food security, and then similarly the prospects for environmental security within an agricultural context. The framing of ‘food security’ as an emerging imperative is consistent with the idea held by some farmers and scientists that ‘the balance has been tipped too recklessly towards environmental sustainability and away from food production’. Building relationships, developing mutual understandings, and providing social support networks are all vital in improving the well-being of farmers and tackling the problem of social isolation. A combination of a deep personal commitment to agriculture and the operation of the tax system can conspire to make retirement an unattractive option for many farmers. In some instances initiatives such as the Strategic Rural Housing Scheme operated by the Addington Fund can help find a new home for existing farmers and their families.
