The high quality landscape of the area has largely emerged from and is dependent upon the agricultural industry which is likely to remain the major influence on the appearance, character and use of the countryside for the foreseeable future.

Dartmoor’s poorly drained upland soils are mainly used for raising store animals. West Devon pasture is mainly used for grass and forage crops with beef, dairy and sheep farming being predominant. The Tamar Valley is warmer and better drained, and it had a significant market garden industry until that was finally choked by foreign competition in the 1980’s.

Despite the long-standing influence of agriculture, the number of people employed in farming has declined for many years and family-owned farms are under particular pressure. Their loss could bring a dramatic impact on the countryside so there is a pressing need to find ways of properly rewarding efforts aimed at both conservation and the production of marketable food.