How could a Basic Income change things for farmers? And is this the right solution to the challenges farmers face?
“It’s not news that farms are struggling to survive, with 49% of fruit and vegetable food producers currently worried they are going to go out of business. In a food system where supermarkets and big businesses hold the power, farms often receive only a small percentage of the retail price. Models such as direct selling and community supported agriculture can help farmers run a more viable business, but the reality is that farming is full of risks and many farmers are still paying themselves well below minimum wage and working long hours in order to keep the business going. “There’s just no ‘spare’ money,” Alice Rixon, a veg grower from Dorset explains; “It’s a breakeven kind of business model and that makes repairs, growth or mechanisation difficult to achieve.”
Excerpt from Wicked Leeks, August 2024, words only. Image credit John Dixon.