THE foot and mouth crisis is just the latest turn in the downward spiral of British agriculture.

It is a terrible tragedy for the farming community, but it has had an impact beyond farming, resulting in losses to tourism of £200 million a week.

Out of the adversity of the foot and mouth disaster, we must identify opportunities for change - not just for farming, but for the countryside as a whole.

If we simply encourage farmers to continue as before we will miss a major chance to put agriculture on a more sustainable footing for the long-term benefit of farmers, rural communities and the environment.

In Yorkshire, as elsewhere in Britain, birds such as the skylark, corn bunting, lapwing, tree sparrow and other wildlife, such as the common blue butterfly, are being lost from the countryside at an alarming rate, while the number of people working in farming also decreases.

Much more of the taxpayers' £3.5 billion annual spend on agriculture needs to be directed towards environmentally-friendly farming and schemes which provide help for farmers to diversify their businesses.

Good food, a healthy environment and vibrant rural communities are what we all want. It's time Government policy reflected our wishes.

Graham Wynne,

Chief Executive,

RSPB UK HQ,

The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire.

Updated: 11:29 Wednesday, April 18, 2001