Farming needs to do more to encourage diversity of new entrants, specifically those from backgrounds not typically associated with agriculture, believes Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones. Clemmie Gleeson reports.
Founder of his self-titled ‘The Black Farmer' brand, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones believes agricultural colleges, landowners and individual farmers could be doing more to encourage a new generation of farmers.
Awarded an MBE for services to British farming in the 2020 New Years Honours, Wilfred is keen to pave the way for individuals from diverse backgrounds looking to get into agriculture.
Wilfred was born in Jamaica before he and his family moved to the UK after World War II where, alongside his parents and eight siblings, he grew up in a terraced house in inner-city Birmingham.
"It was a dangerous place to be brought up," he says. "I didn't see gardens or countryside. The only place I felt safe was in the semi-rural environment of our family's allotment.
"One of the things I continuously preach is that it is really important to have a dream and it is possible to change from the circumstances you were born into.
"When I was among nature and seeing things grow, I felt safe. That was the spark that made me make myself a promise. Aged 11, I promised myself that one day, I would buy my own farm."
It was nearly 30 years later that Wilfred's dream eventually came true when he bought a 12-hectare (30-acre) holding near Lifton, Devon, in the year he turned 40.
Before this, his varied career had included working as a chef before moving into television where his credits included producing Food and Drink for BBC Two and later starting a food marketing agency in London working with major brands, including Kettle Chips.
"It is not just a black issue. If you are poor and white, you won't be able to get into farming either"
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones
Brand
After buying the farm in 2000, he went on to build his brand, ‘The Black Farmer', which focuses on marketing locally-sourced free-range meats and many other products.
Wilfred says he chose the name to highlight the fact he is ‘an anomaly'.
"It would not have any traction if there were a lot of black farmers," he says.
"It needs to not be an anomaly. The point was to start a debate and discussion."
While he believes it is difficult for anyone to start farming in their own right if they have no family business to join, it is considerably harder, he says, for people from backgrounds not traditionally associated with agriculture.
"If you are an immigrant you are already at a massive disadvantage," he says.
"We are not going to encourage diversity or new blood until we get rid of that disadvantage.
And it is not just people of colour that he champions, but anyone from a background not typically associated with farming.
"It is not just a black issue," Wilfred says. "If you are poor and white, you won't be able to get into farming either. It's anyone from a non-traditional family background.
"The industry needs new blood. New blood is new ideas and new thinking."
For several years Wilfred also ran a rural scholarship scheme and mentored young people. But in 2013 he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
Determined
Fortunately, he made a full recovery but has since had to scale back some of his work, although he remains determined to make a difference to the next generation and beyond.
"One of the things I have been advocating is that a lot of land is owned by big institutions such as the church, trusts and universities and their farmland is mostly rented or leased to people from traditional farming families, those already in the industry.
"I'm calling for an audit. I would like these establishments to consider how much of the land they own is rented to different diversities. The answer is most likely none, but it is a simple thing they could do.
"If land agents went out of their way to find people from diverse backgrounds for just 1 per cent of the land they manage, it would make a big difference."
Wilfred believes people from black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds would suffer prejudice when applying for tenancies.
"When people see black or people of colour, they do not see a farmer," he says.
"People will be suspicious. Black people and the countryside don't often go together so any black person wanting to be in the countryside can be looked at with a certain suspicion.
"To call that racism though is totally wrong. Often, it's naivety, and I don't think it is about intent.
"Many people are worried about the correct language and there is a real nervousness about that.
"I think those of us in the farming industry have a personal responsibility. We need to look around and ask what we are doing to contribute to the change.
"The whole Black Lives Matter movement is bringing to the fore the inequalities in our society. Certain industries have ignored it, and food and farming is one."
Real action
Wilfred would like to see agricultural colleges actively encourage students from BAME backgrounds.
"It is no good just having a figurehead, it is also about the actions taken," he says.
"Colleges all need to look at themselves and ask what they are doing. They could all be doing better."
And he wants to see real action, not just ‘box ticking'.
"If you want real diversity you have to be open to being challenged and a lot of organisations are not. The message is if you're not like us then you are not welcome."
He also encourages farmers to reach out to schools rather than wait to be contacted.
"I would say to every farmer - if for one week a year you had one young person from an urban environment that comes and works on your farm and spends time with you and you personally mentor them, it would go a long way to make change.
"Connect yourself to a school in a certain area. There is no cost to you, just time. The school can choose the right student."
Elsewhere, the growth of Wilfred's brand has continued, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Getting produce direct to the consumer was very difficult before," he says.
"People are now working at home so it means they can get fresh produce delivered from anywhere in the country. That will allow us to take on the gatekeepers in the form of the supermarkets."
Effective marketing is however crucial, he says.
"It is a great opportunity, but we have to understand the consumer," he says. "Most farmers know everything there is to know about their profession but very little about their consumers.
"I only have 30 acres, but I have been able to create a brand on the basis of nothing. I understand that it is all about a relationship with your consumers. If you don't then you're just producing commodities."
And social media has been key to his approach, where he regularly posts videos and updates on Facebook to communicate directly with customers.
"The old ways of marketing do not work," Wilfred says.
"Whether they are a consumer in a tower block in Leeds or a terraced house in London, you need to understand their needs. We as farmers have an idyllic life, but need to walk towards our consumers and not just expect them to buy from us like it is our right. We have to work for their custom."
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