Leena Sarah Farhat will be speaking at the GLD 2019 Conference

Leena Sarah Farhat will be speaking at the GLD 2019 Conference

As a young woman who is passionate about Welsh rural affairs, I am so excited to be speaking on the Green Liberal Democrat (GLD) Youth panel. This will be my first time attending the GLD Conference and I cannot wait to learn so much about environmental issues across the UK!

Climate change is having a near unalterable impact on our world and my generation will be the first one to have to consciously adjust and clean up this mess. A lot of the policy being passed within the party and the government is city facing but what about rural areas? Land management is key to achieving a greener and more sustainable UK.

The future of land management in Wales is a serious question that has been looked at relatively recently but given the current political and socio-economic climate, we need to reassess our solutions. We need to prepare for a change in funding, which is already not going down well with the farming community here in Wales.

It is vital that we continue to look into ways to tackle climate change, including the impacts such as flood prevention and deteriorating water quality. We need to support a resilient, more self-reliant food production sector, producing food of the highest quality while maintaining sustainable forestry and woodland.

It is paramount we protect and enhance biodiversity. We need to find a way to educate people to eat smart as well as sustainably. Wales needs to be able to manage the landscape for the benefit of tourism, recreation and local communities. Farmers are often vilified by city dwellers who do not understand the stress that they are under. Our life, culture and heritage is tied to our land.

The change in funding along with uninformed policy around climate change could be the end of the family farm - a piece of our culture. That is why we need to ensure that we nurture the Welsh language and vibrant rural communities. Our agricultural sector is more than a means of revenue, it is a lifestyle, a tradition and a part of who we are. I have had the pleasure of speaking with young farmers and getting their opinions on sustainable farming policy and the best way to get them to go greener.

I will be pitching some solutions at the GLD Conference to consider while giving the audience an insight into life in the Welsh countryside. I look forward to addressing the conference with some of these solutions and the debate that will follow.

I cannot wait to see everyone there!