Thread by @WoollyMaggot

@BBCFarmingToday purported cover all things trees last week. Having listened to the whole weeks programming I can only say that the coverage was wholly incomplete and an exercise banality fit for @BBCCountryfile and not a serious programme on farming and land-use. #RantAlert /1

Over the 5 mornings of @BBCFarmingToday 'tree talk' the keyword count was thus:
Trees=25, Hedgerows=7, Tree Planting Targets=6, @woodlandtrust =4, Foresters=3, Food security=3, Ancient Trees=2, Commercial Agri crops =2, Carbon=1, Nuts=1, Fruit=1, Timber=1 ... /2

Coverage began on Monday with observations by @ThomasRMurphy88as to what the tree planting targets r (a relatively modest 5% change in land use) and the dismal failure of Eng & Wales to achieve them. Unfortunately there so no analysis as to why Scotland had faired much better /3

One of the challenges identified by @ThomasRMurphy88 was the financial barrier to Woodland Creation for farmers and the desire to maintain productivity of the land... unfortunately no mention of #Timber made the edit until later in the week.... /4

There was concern expressed by @charlottebsmith about #FoodSelfSufficiency & land sparing for nature, 10% was vaunted as an acceptable figure. During the whole 5 days of coverage there was no mention about #timbersecurity in a climate crisis, not even on the radar.../5

There could have been some higher level discussion about integrated land use, trade offs, the fact that lamb is largely export, feed barley into cattle is questionable from a GHG perspective (CO2 and methane), instead we get to the final part of the week without #timber ... /6

There could've been thoughtful discussion about growing demand for wood products which the UK imports on a truly massive scale, perhaps ref to the @UKCCC calls 4 >wood in construction and work done promote this such as... /7

Instead we get Helen from the @woodlandtrust listing the huge benefits of trees listed in order 1) fruit, 2) nuts and 2) potentially timber. Yes that's it a whole 'week of trees' and a single mention of #timber pipped to 3rd place in order or importance by fruit & nuts... /8

We know that trees r pretty amazing & can provide a multitude of non timber benefits, but it is incredibly disappointing that a serious land base programme like @BBCFarmingToday which make great links to food & farming awards cant make a similar connections to #TreesAndTimber /9

@BBCFarmingToday need 2 engage with a #GuestEditor or 2 with rounded knowledge about the potential 4 integrated land use including trees for timber, aiming beyond the simplistic and get into the guts of the topic as they do in farming. @andyheald + @blackgull would do fine /10

#EndOfGrumpyForesterRant, here are some pretty pictures of #HighNatureForestry for the #TimberNIMBY's of the UK.... End on a high