The chief executive officer of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett, was ridiculed after he tweeted an image of a sloped Cambridgeshire field which claimed ploughing was responsible for flooding each winter.
Farmers quickly pointed out the tweet was factually incorrect, since the field had been drilled not ploughed, and criticised Mr Bennett for his blatant lack of knowledge.
Farmers Guardian reader and farmer Richard Harland called for Mr Bennett to issue an apology for the post.
Mr Harland said: “This misinformation is hugely damaging for the whole agricultural industry, and for someone in a position of chief executive officer of one of the biggest countryside organisations in the UK to be able to use his platform to spread such information, maybe he has a grudge against the agricultural industry, or perhaps he is just incompetent.”
I think you mean drilled
— Adam Quinney🏴 (@ACQu020I think you mean drilled
— Adam Quinney\uD83C\uDFF4\uDB40\uDC67\uDB40\uDC62\uDB40\uDC65\uDB40\uDC6E\uDB40\uDC67\uDB40\uDC7F (@ACQuinney) November 14, 2020
Divisive inflammatory click bait exacerbating empathy deficit between farming & non-farming subcultures by posting an emotive tweet lacking any nuance. Really unhelpful to both promotion of wildlife and food security. Imp that public challenge & demand better o someone in yr pos
— RegenAG UK (@Rege020Divisive inflammatory click bait exacerbating empathy deficit between farming & non-farming subcultures by posting an emotive tweet lacking any nuance. Really unhelpful to both promotion of wildlife and food security. Imp that public challenge & demand better o someone in yr pos
— RegenAG UK (@RegenAGuk) November 14, 2020
That doesn’t show any evidence of erosion or that there is even potential for soil to be washed into a drain or stream. It’s a narrow field of view which doesn’t tell us anything about the farming system or whether the farmer is talking measures to minimise environmental impact
— James Reed (@upwoo020That doesn’t show any evidence of erosion or that there is even potential for soil to be washed into a drain or stream. It’s a narrow field of view which doesn’t tell us anything about the farming system or whether the farmer is talking measures to minimise environmental impact
— James Reed (@upwoodfarm) November 14, 2020
A hill, in Cambridgeshire? Most people would call that a small hump. And’it isn’t even ploughed, it’s drilled. Many farmers don’t plough these days, with more min till and direct drilling but obviously as CEO you know all that sort of stuff.
— AlexPayne (@Alex_J020A hill, in Cambridgeshire? Most people would call that a small hump. And it isn't even ploughed, it's drilled. Many farmers don't plough these days, with more min till and direct drilling but obviously as CEO you know all that sort of stuff.
— AlexPayne (@Alex_JPayne) November 15, 2020
You need to go back to "university" and educate yourself properly before getting involved in something you "think" you have knowledge of! If you want support with wildlife trust them WORK with not against!
— The Bionic farmer (@m020You need to go back to "university" and educate yourself properly before getting involved in something you "think" you have knowledge of! If you want support with wildlife trust them WORK with not against!
— The Bionic farmer (@mt765c) November 15, 2020
Congratulations on Award for the Year for relationship building. Wondering why I bother to support the Wildlife Trusts if this is an example of current leadership.
— Julia Hawley (@Brentingb020Congratulations on Award for the Year for relationship building. Wondering why I bother to support the Wildlife Trusts if this is an example of current leadership.
— Julia Hawley (@Brentingbyfarm) November 15, 2020
Oh dear, CEO of @WildlifeTrusts with an very factually i
— Phil Burrell (@cricketandcrops) November 15, 2020
acedBR|t
He clearly thinks he is correct as he has retweeted his own tweet
I wonder if this CEO thought about all those who work in agriculture that are members of the Wildlife Trust before posting inaccurately ?!?! t.co/0qwHC3jbZJ