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Rebecca's Wild Farm

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Subjects: Agriculture, Economics, Energy, Environment, Food Supply, Gardening, Oil, Pesticides, Sustainability, Sustainable Development

Grade Level: JrH-Adult
Producer: BBC
Closed Captioned: No

Running Time: 50 mins
Country of Origin: Great Britain
Study Guide: No

Copyright Date: 2009
Available in French: No

The Hosking farm, is not a normal farm by any stretch of the imagination. It is a haven of biodiversity, carefully preserved by Rebecca's father, with majestic oak trees, water meadows and hayfields heaving with wild flowers. Although Rebecca wishes to continue her father's working preserving the wildlife – it is also clear that if the farm is to be passed down to any future Hosking generations – it must also start making a profit.

Having had a sense of duty towards the land and the environment instilled in her from an early age, Rebecca must find a system that meets all of her needs. However, she faces stiff competition in the form of larger farms, where use of agrichemicals and high yield crops means it is much easier to be profitable – how can she compete?

Because the food industry is facing a rather large problem. 50% of the food in our supermarkets is imported, and so reliant on oil. If oil prices continue to rise, this would have an effect on both the availability and price of food. This would mean that domestic production would have to increase to manage the shortfall. But, as other more traditional farms have a higher level of productivity, this can't really save the Hoskings' farm – or can it? With 96% of Britain's farms reliant on oil-derived agrichemicals, the impact of an oil shortage could be even greater, with farmers forced to use organic methods (where the yield is much less).

Could Britain, in a future without oil, be forced to look to more traditional, diverse farming methods in a bid to feed the population? Could a farm from the past be the farm of the future?

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