Channel 4 show which called for end to farming criticised by head of Natural England

A Channel 4 show calling for farming to be completely scrapped and replaced by factories which produce food out of bacteria has been criticised by the head of Natural England.

The show, Apocalypse Cow, aired on the public broadcaster on Wednesday night, and was fronted by vegan activist George Monbiot, known for being arrested at the Extinction Rebellion protests last year.

In it, he argues that farming is responsible for the world's environmental ills and calls for "farm-free food" made in laboratories.

Tony Juniper, the head of Natural England, disagreed with his claims that grazing animals are bad for the planet.

He said: "Billions of animals could be a very good thing, depending on how they are reared. Before farming there were many billions of grazing animals & they shaped ecosystems. More naturalistic farming could mimic some of those ecological effects, eg in relation to soil carbon."

This is the latest anti-farming show to appear on a public broadcaster; earlier this year the BBC aired a documentary which was accused by farmers of giving a one-sided view. The film focused on deforestation in the Amazon, and the presenter, Liz Bonnin, claimed she had stopped eating meat after making it.

MPs have said that the BBC and Channel 4 should present a more balanced view of farming. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told The Telegraph that he was "deeply upset" with the broadcasters.

He said: "I represent one of the most rural constituencies in the South West of England and I make it a priority to have regular meetings with a whole range of farmers across The Cotswolds. I have been deeply upset with the recent documentaries aired by the BBC and Channel 4 news which have been so clearly biased against our farming industry and with limited scientific evidence.

"Farmers are some of the hardest working people in the country, working extraordinarily long hours to look after their livestock, while keeping our countryside well managed. The idea of eradicating farming is laughable and would lead to large scale job losses in rural areas. It is also likely to lead to massive imports from countries where animal welfare and environmental standards are considerably less rigorous than ours."

Former environment secretary, Owen Paterson, who is the MP for North Shropshire said: "There will be more food grown with new technologies in urban areas but the idea of closing down farming is absolutely ludicrous

"Those of us who live in the countryside are absolutely sick of people with these minority faddy ideas about food given constant airtime

"They totally underestimate the huge benefits farmers give to the countryside.

"Channel 4 and BBC are giving disproportionate time to a tiny urban minority who don't have a clue what life is like outside the metropolitan areas."

Environmental charities criticised the broadcaster for giving a "misplaced" and "radical" view of the food system, arguing that there is a place for eco-friendly farming and that eating bacteria dust would be a "step back for nutrition".

Rob Percival, Head of Food and Health Policy at the Soil Association, said: “Channel 4’s ‘Apocalypse Cow’ offered a radical but misplaced vision of an alternative food system. Monbiot’s diagnosis of the problem is mostly correct. We need to plant more trees, and we need to stop farming animals intensively and feeding them environmentally damaging imported feed crops. Radical change is needed across our food system, but Monbiot throws the baby out with the bathwater in his dismissal of extensive and agroecological farming.

"A diet based around foods synthesised from chemical and nutrient components would also likely be a backward step for nutrition. Research into the gut microbiome is revealing the harm caused by ultra-processed foods and the importance of a diversity of whole, unprocessed foods for our gut and health. Whole foods are more than the sum of their nutrient parts and should form the basis of a healthy diet."

The head of the Food Ethics Council, Dan Crossley, added: "Yes, we need more trees. Yes, we need to move away from industrial farming. But that doesn't mean we need to end all livestock farming.

"To argue that lots of land is used for livestock, therefore we should get rid of all livestock, for me misses the point. What about a less and better approach, rather than an absolutist position?"

Countryside organisations have also hit out at the programme.

Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said: “George Monbiot seems to be dreaming of an authoritarian nirvana in which he can dictate what people want to eat. In reality we remain confident that most people will continue to consume high quality sustainable produce from British farms. We predict that the great British Sunday lunch will continue to consist of naturally produced meat, potatoes and veg, not processed bacterial slush”.

Channel 4 has been contacted for comment. The BBC has defended its farming documentary, arguing that it was balanced.