Mary Contini column: Farms reeling from inheritance tax grab

Nothing is further than the truth. My family were itinerant shepherds and subsistence farmers in one of the remotest villages in the Lazio mountains. They survived for over 12 generations by sheer determination and tenacity. It was not an easy way of life but it was their way of life.

So why did so many young people leave at the beginning of the 20th century? A change in inheritance law made it compulsory to bequeath any land equally to each family member. With large families, this meant land ownership was split into smaller and smaller parcels, making survival impossible. Eventually, families were split, the natural balance destroyed, the land abandoned. The result today: empty properties impossible to sell even at one Euro!

Following the unexpected inheritance tax grab in the recent budget, it is no wonder family-owned small and large farms are reeling. The effect of the new rules may necessitate the sale of the whole or part of farming and associated businesses to fund IHT liabilities.

It is hard to understand the reasoning behind this strategy. Farms are an integral part of our countryside’s balance. They provide sustainable local food, milk, beef, vegetables. They maintain our landscape, serve tourism, provide good spaces for exercise and education.

Ever-struggling to innovate and survive, our farmers have put huge effort over the last twenty years to resurrect farmers' markets, providing access to local seasonal food. They have helped build a renaissance of healthy eating and home cooking that is the cornerstone of the way forward to a healthier population. Is it all going to unravel before our eyes?

With this threat hanging over their future, the next generation of farmers may be already looking to move away. This would be a disaster for our hopes of protecting our food security, changing our diet and maintaining our countryside. Do government never listen? We need carrots, not sticks!