Prince Charles brands ‘obscure’ environmental language ‘unhelpful’ as he calls for agricultural change

The Prince of Wales has received Farmers Weekly’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales seen during his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi at Clarence House on October 22, 2020 in London
(Image credit: Photo by Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Charles has opened up about the ‘urgent need’ to tackle sustainability and environmental issues within the agricultural industry in an inspirational piece.

Prince Charles, who is the recipient of Farmers Weekly’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2020, opened up in a heartfelt piece for the publication. In it, he outlined his vision for agriculture in the coming decades. The Prince of Wales also wrote of how when it comes to the environment, the use of ‘obscure’ language is ‘often unhelpful’ and often appears to hide the highly important message behind it. 

He wrote: “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.”

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Prince Charles also wrote of how the current farming situation ‘is simply not sustainable’, adding ‘we cannot go on as we are’. He believes that this ‘is perhaps the most important reason why farming and rural land management is facing the biggest shake-up in decades.’

But whilst he addressed the challenges facing the farming industry, he also detailed how this ‘urgent need to tackle these problems’ also presents ‘the biggest new opportunities for farmers’.

‘Taking full advantage of these new opportunities will require an innovative mindset, almost certainly much more collaboration and a willingness to do things differently,’ he declared.

His inspiring piece comes after the Prince of Wales has been chosen to receive Farmers Weekly’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Prince revealed he was ‘surprised and extremely touched’ to have been honored in this way.

Prince Charles has often been vocal in the past about his concerns regarding environmental issues and about advocating for sustainability.

Last year, Prince Charles gave an impassioned speech as he opened the It’s Time Festival of climate action, appealing to viewers to help drive change. As part of this, he appeared in a poignant video created for the launch of RTE, the platform of the Sustainable Markets Initiative.

“There is real hope, but we’ve just got to get our act together,” he powerfully declared.

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!