As I write this first column for 2003 the rain is falling, steadily and persistently.

From the point of view of an arable farmer in the Vale of York, the chief characteristic of 2002 has been the quantity of rain.

Every time there was enough dry weather to make one think of irrigating the potatoes, it rained. It certainly saved a job, and a frustrating and time consuming one at that, but I would have preferred to have done a little more irrigating.

From the point of view of this farm, the year was one of disappointing prices, and a fair bit of effort not resulting in much return. When all this takes place in a quagmire it becomes more depressing and difficult for all concerned.

The country and the countryside continued to recover from the effects of foot and mouth disease. The numerous reports which were commissioned into the outbreak by local and national government were examined.

They were pretty extensively leaked before they were published, as usual, and did not, in any case, add much to the sum of human knowledge.

The essence seems to be that certain unacceptable practices led to predictable outcomes on this occasion. There was an element of ill luck, but every so often, as gamblers would tell us, long odds do come off.

The reports allowed an opportunity for the great and the good to mutter in predictable ways, but most of the mutterings amounted to nothing much more than the fact that they were in favour of good and against sin, which is probably what the rest of us thought.

There were certain hopeful signs. There is increasing evidence that consumers are more conscious of the quality and origins of the food they eat.

The various campaigns being run to encourage the consumption of local food seem to be having some effect. Television and newspapers - including this one - are constantly reinforcing the theme. If people could be persuaded to eat more locally-produced food, the effects in the countryside would be significant. But they would only be significant if more of the price to the consumer was passed down the chain, so that it could be spent in the community.

Prince Charles, who has consistently supported the cause of local food, rejoined the battle this week.

His interventions, although not necessarily significant in themselves, always bring the attentions of the press with them. His theme was that the eating of local food assists the local producers. It also has the effect of shortening the supply chain.

The transport of food up and down the country is difficult to justify. Anyone who does not believe that global warming, partially as a result of the burning of fossil fuel for transport, has arrived ought to come to visit the waterlogged Vale of York.

Importing food across continents using aircraft fuel taxed at low levels makes the situation worse. That directly helps to break up the ozone layer.

It is difficult to get people to connect their individual actions to the global consequences of large numbers of people taking the same actions. We all know that traffic congestion is an environmental disaster, but individually most of us insist on our right to drive our car where and when we choose.

The way we are going the world that we leave behind us will be a very different and worse one from the one we inherited. We ought to try to take the easy steps which would make a difference. Eating local food is one of those easy steps. The sooner we get started the better.

Happy New Year.

Updated: 11:24 Thursday, January 02, 2003