TAKING on a stronger environmental role, educating the public and embracing the global market were among the routes out of the farming crisis, one of the country's leading figures in agriculture told northern producers.

The three-pronged attack on the deepest agricultural depression for decades was advocated by Mr Mike Calvert, chief executive of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, at the third BIB Insurance farmers' lunch at Headlam Hall, Gainford, near Barnard Castle, last Friday.

Mr Calvert, who took up the RASE post last August, said food production alone would not sustain the industry but, with the right approach and open minds, farming had a fav-ourable future. However, the current upturn in milk and grain prices should not be seen as a long-term benefit, as they rose and fell with world commodity and currency prices.

Instead, farmers should concentrate on emulating the top 10pc of agricultural producers who were making a living in spite of the difficult times. "It is encouraging that I know a fair number of people who are making a profit in the present situation, on rented farms and with borrowed money. If they can do it, others can as well," he said.

Food safety, animal welfare, genetically modified crops and countryside access were foremost in the public's mind when people considered agriculture.

"We are no longer seen as mainly important as food producers by the government and the public," said Mr Calvert. "Our voting power is even less and one of the most distressing things is that we offer little appeal to the young as a career."

The picture was not all gloomy. "We have tremendous strengths. As land managers we control 75pc of the UK land area," he said,

Environmental issues were top of many members of the public's priorities and farmers must build on their role as guardians of the countryside. "Twelve years ago, I said farmers would become custodians of the countryside and I was told no, that wouldn't happen."

Farmers must decide which aspect of environmental work would suit their holdings, with options including waste management, growing crops as a carbon sink to get rid of carbon dioxide, and water management - particularly topical following the recent floods.

The industry should work with environmental organisations wherever possible. "The RSPB wants more skylarks. We should ask how many skylarks an acre do you want and where do you want them?" said Mr Calvert, a member of the MAFF science panel and involved in the advisory panel of Linking Environment and Farming. "RSPB members have four times the voting power of the agricultural sector. They want to work with farmers and we have got to work with anybody and everybody involved in rural areas."

Research by Exeter university estimated Britain's farmers carried out £250m worth of environmental work free of charge and many felt this should be recognised by the public.

Education of the public, particularly people from urban areas, was also vital to winning support for farming. "We have to ensure the people we are delivering to understand what we are talking about and we have to understand what they are talking about, in terms of access, hunting, or whatever.

"A lot of the public are caring people who want things to be right, but they don't have the level of information to make those decisions. We have to deliver that information whenever we come into contact with consumers. A discerning consumer is one of the biggest assets we can have. We have a concerned consumer at the moment; they are not well enough informed to be discerning."

Farm open days were one way ahead but it was important to involve the right people with the right farms.

Farmers must recognise they were part of a global market, where competition came not only from down the road but also from across the world.

"We don't have the scale in this country to put up big, integrated livestock units, or the chance to get our overheads down," said Mr Calvert. "The harvest in France can run for weeks longer than ours and they can produce ten tonnes an acre of sugar beet at 10pc more sugar than we can. But we can compete if we pick the right crops and the right enterprises which, in Britain, include potatoes and wheat."

Producers must also look at adding value to increase their financial margins, such as organic production and locally-branded produce, for which many consumers were prepared to pay more.

Working together as an industry could help drive down costs, avoid duplication and ensure the industry spoke with one voice. That communication was also important between producer and customer.

"At the moment on the dairy front we are talking about co-operating as farmers to take on the people we want to sell our milk to," said Mr Calvert. "We are also picketing customers' premises. I am not sure that is the right way to develop long-term relationships."

Attracting young people to the industry was one of the most difficult challenges. "Most of the country's farmers are 50-plus now and may not have the energy and enthusiasm still to be driving the industry forward in ten, 15 or 20 years' time.

An RASE video project showed most six- and seven-year-olds, including those from deeply rural areas, had already ruled out farming as a career.

"The industry is enduring difficult times but there are enormous opportunities," said Mr Calvert. "We need a change of attitude and to focus on what can be achieved. If we achieve that, we have a good secure future; if we don't we will just keep bouncing along the bottom.