Currently sat in a workshop with Defra, EA and other colleagues discussing measures for diffuse pollution control. The debate is focussed on the polluter pays principle. All well and good but who IS the polluter? Is it right to lump that blame on the farmer? I’m not convinced – we all have a role to play up the food chain, we all consume the food and the agricultural products. Maybe this highlights the importance of identifying the role of the food chain for understanding the complexities of diffuse pollution…..