Soil Association Scotland director --- arrogant or naive?

Andrew Arbuckle, the one-time agriculture editor at the Courier & Advertiser in Dundee, was until the end of March a MSP in the Scottish Parliament. He lost his seat in the latest election.
Among the last letters he received while in Parliament was from Hugh Raven, the director of the Soil Association in Scotland. In it Mr Raven made the accusation that for the last 40 years Scottish agricultural journalists have pursued a relentless, remorseless and corrosive criticism of organic farming for the last 40 years.
I've taken considerable exception to the remarks and have sent the following response that I have pasted below to Mr Raven.
Do you feel similarly slurred? Would be truly wonderful if we could open a debate on this.

Thanks



Joe




9 May 2007


Hugh Raven
Soil Association Scotland
Tower Mains
18 Liberton Brae
Edinburgh
EH16 6AE



Dear Mr Raven


I have today received a copy of letter you sent on to Andrew Arbuckle, the former MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, on March 28. In that letter you make sweeping statements on the record of the agricultural press in Scotland, accusing us of relentless, remorseless and corrosive criticism over the last 40 years.

I take strong exception to what I would contend is unwarranted criticism of agricultural journalists, especially given the considerable publicity that I, and colleagues, have given organic agriculture and your organisation in recent years. One could contend the space, column inches and broadcasting time given over is wholly disproportionate to the output of organic agriculture in Scotland, but as there has been a story to tell it has been reported by my members and colleagues.

I know in my own instance in recent years that I have sanctioned features on your appointment as director of the Soil Association and that of Marjorie Grant as your first dedicated certification officer.

I've also ordered a feature on David Younie, and done numerous stories on organic farming, most recently on young entrepreneur Steven Jack, on the issues faced by organic livestock farmers because of feed shortages and on Scotland's annual organic market report from the Scottish Agricultural College's Caroline Bayliss. Also add into that articles on the setting up of Scotland's first organic monitor farm at Blair Atholl, a report on the organic milk market, the expansion of organic poultry and egg production, the debate between controversial economist Sean Rickard and the Soil Association's commercial director Jim Twine and my exclusive expose last year on the scandal of the funding shortfalls in the rural development programme for rural stewardship schemes and organic aid.

To now attack not just my professional integrity but also that of my colleagues in the way you have is deeply insulting. Your remarks are certainly being questioned by my colleagues, and rightly so. Your comments smack of someone who harbours a long standing grudge for what I don't know, but to convey that in the way you have to a MSP is, I would suggest, wholly unprofessional, especially as you have not raised your concerns directly with the journalists you now attack. One has to question why you have chosen to air concerns now when over the last decade that I have been involved in agricultural journalist you have said nothing previously.

What I would say is how dare you brand what I have done for organic farming in the way you have when I have gone to considerable lengths to ensure that its voice is heard and that its activities are regularly featured. I take exception to having my efforts dismissed by you in such a sweeping unfounded generalisation.

You make the accusation that agricultural journalists in Scotland have over four decades pursued relentless, remorseless and corrosive criticism of organic farming. Might ask where the evidence of this is?

Yes my members and I have, as journalists, over the last four decades reported comments made by others who have attacked organic agriculture, but I think you will find precious few occasions where professional journalists have themselves delivered the criticism.

To now attempt to shot the messenger is wrong, but again not surprising from an organisation that is known to spout forth when it feels its voice is not being heard.

Might I remind you that we live in a democracy where there are many types of agriculture and where people are allowed to express their views. Journalists report these daily and I would hope in a balanced format. To mistakenly assume one of these reports is an attack by journalists on organic farming displays considerable naivety on your part. Not everyone subscribes to the Soil Association's belief that organic agriculture is the future and that, I believe, is a healthy situation, although given your comments you obviously disagree with the broad church approach.

If you feel that your view is not being heard, I would suggest you write to the editor of the publication concerned and ask for redress, not via the delivery of some throw away remark in a letter to a politician. There are other means open to you, including seeking redress through the Press Complaints Commission

I would, however, in the spirit of bluntness that you have provoked ask that you put your own house in order before attacking others. I have on several occasions this year had to call your press office in Bristol in relation to stories on organic feed shortages to seek comment. That they were unable to provide a comment on each occasion and respond to a very serious situation facing certain organic farmers typifies to me an organisation that is all mouth and no action in much the same way that I view your comments on the integrity of Scottish agricultural journalists. On the basis of my experience with the Soil Association, I would contend that your communications operation is next to useless, but I was still able to report the issue by using other, more reliable sources.

You've attacked agricultural journalists; I've branded your communications hopeless. We're now in balance. I would hope you would now cast aside your remarks and accept that Scottish agricultural journalists are delivering for Scottish organic farmers. To argue otherwise, displays considerable ignorance on your part.

In the meantime, I look forward to receiving clarification on the remarks you have made and the actual evidence that backs up your sweeping accusation.

I would also draw your attention to these remarks being my own, and not necessarily representing the views of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists of Great Britain of which I am the current chairman. They will, however, be shared by a great many members of the organisation in Scotland.



Yours sincerely




Joe Watson