The Prince of Wales has warned the jargon used to describe environmental issues is so "obscure" that it can harm efforts to combat climate change. Photo / Getty
The Prince of Wales has warned the jargon used to describe environmental issues is so "obscure" that it can harm efforts to combat climate change. Photo / Getty
The Prince of Wales has warned the jargon used to describe environmental issues is so "obscure" that it can harm efforts to combat climate change.
He suggested that terms such as biodiversity, agroforestry and natural capital, often used by NGOs and scientists, did not convey the practical message.
The Prince, 72, spoke out as he was awarded a lifetime achievement award by Farmers Weekly in recognition of his "unique and sustained" contribution to British farming, an accolade that left him "surprised and touched".
The Prince, who will accept the award at a virtual ceremony tonight, warns in next week's Farmers Weekly that the industry faces its "biggest shake up in decades," and urges "an innovative mind-set" and "a willingness to do things differently".
He said: "In this new world, the relationship between farmers and carbon, water and biodiversity, will be of fundamental importance, with bigger challenges and new opportunities.
"So it is often unhelpful, perhaps, that much of the language being used to describe the situation and the potential remedies is so obscure, sometimes appearing as if it has been chosen to hide the real message and alienate those who most need to hear it.
"A source close to the Prince said he felt the language used by those working in the industry could be hard for working farmers to understand.
He is concerned those who really need to grasp the message, so they can make relevant changes on the ground, are not being properly engaged.
The Prince warned that by the end of the century, large parts of the planet would be uninhabitable unless more was done to reduce carbon emissions.
"In plain English, this situation is simply not sustainable," he added.
The Prince of Wales has warned the jargon used to describe environmental issues is so "obscure" that it can harm efforts to combat climate change. Photo / Getty
But he insisted the shake-up presented the "biggest new opportunities for farmers since the Second World War," revealing every farm across the Duchy of Cornwall was being audited to identify possible improvements.
The Prince, once mocked for his passion for organic farming, has latterly become known as a pioneer, hailed for his efforts on sustainability, agriculture and the environment.
"With the benefit of hindsight, it is quite clear that the majority of the things he has advocated for many years have been adopted and come into the mainstream," said Andrew Meredith, editor of Farmers Weekly.
"Our readers are proud to have such an ally with his profile standing up for their work. He has stood with the industry shoulder to shoulder when we have faced our biggest challenges - flooding events, foot and mouth disease - he was out there on the front line."
The Prince was awarded the lifetime achievement award for his work as a "tireless advocate" for British farming.
It also reflects the positive impact of the Prince's Countryside Fund, the charity he founded 10 years ago.
At the virtual ceremony, he will say: "I firmly believe that the most profitable and constructive path for agriculture in this country will be through telling a unique story of high standards, of environmental sensitivity, animal welfare and food quality, while stressing local provenance, native breeds and sustainable management.
"This niche approach plays to our undoubted strengths as an island nation, as opposed to struggling to compete in global commodity markets."
