The British Agricultural Policy Since The Mid-17th Century

Strictly speaking, agricultural policy is a relatively recent phenomenon. However, from a broader perspective, the agricultural policy can be defined as the various government interventions in agriculture, as well as government’s attitude and position manifested in this process. From the 17th century until the mid-20th century, the intervention of the British government in agriculture has not been interrupted, but the extent is constantly changing. This intervention has largely shaped the evolution of the British agriculture. In other words, for the deep understanding of British agriculture today, we must understand the British agricultural policy.From the mid-17th century until the mid-19th century, the Corn Laws was a very important aspect of the British government intervention in agriculture. During this period, the contents of the Corn Laws had undergone many changes, from the beginning to encourage the export of cereals and to restrict cereal import, to import restrictions only, and finally to the complete withdrawal of all interventions on grain imports and exports. In addition, the domestic food market was an area tightly controlled by the British government. In order to forbid forestalling and engrossing, a series of measures were introduced. This is considered to be the main form of moral economy. However, the basic attitude of the British government was to support the liberalization of the domestic market. Under the influence of this position, the intervention and control for the food market continued to decline. The repeal of the Corn Laws in the mid-19th century marks the formal establishment of free-market mechanisms in Britain. The land property right is another area where the British government intervention in agriculture was evident. The overall principle of the policy was to modernize the system of property rights, which was to remove the feudal elements from the property rights, to establish and protect the private ownership of land, to clarify the rights and obligations of the subjects of rights, and to promote the further liberalization of the land market. The agricultural depression starting in the 1870s brought unprecedented challenges to the British agriculture. The agricultural prices, profits and rents dropped significantly. In order to tackle this crisis, the British government introduced a number of remedies, but the intensity and effects were very limited. After the agricultural crisis, agricultural production in Britain fell into slump. After the 20th century, the two world wars can be seen as an important watershed in the history of British agricultural policy. The importance of food self-sufficiency was once again highlighted. Among the wars, in order to improve agricultural production as soon as possible, the British government began to take over the full range of agricultural production. These experiences laid the foundation for the British agricultural policy after World War Ⅱ. The Agriculture Act of 1947 was the cornerstone and framework of the British Agricultural Policy after the Second World War. Its assured market and guaranteed prices for agricultural products provided the premise and guarantee for the continued expansion of agricultural production in Britain. As a result, in a few decades after World War Ⅱ, the volume and self-sufficiency of agricultural products increased significantly. The joining in the EEC in 1973 did not reverse this trend. During this period, the British government also introduced various measures to improve agricultural productivity, and optimize the agricultural production and market structures. After the 1980s, the negative impact of modern agriculture on the ecological environment began to arouse widespread concern. At the same time, people were increasingly aware of the multifunctionality in agriculture. Both in the EU and in the UK, there was a shift in the agricultural policy. The production function of agriculture was weakened, while its positive effects on the ecology and landscape were emphasized.After the review of the history of the British agricultural policy, the following pattern can be found. All along, the British government did not treat the agriculture as an isolate sector, but as an integral part of the entire economic system. The objective of the agricultural policy is not only the good performance of agriculture itself, but also the coordination of interests between agriculture and the other sectors of the economy, so that the agriculture can play a positive role in the economic and social development.