Biofuels, plastics and drugs: is this the future of our farms?

Climate change and poor returns on wheat and dairy drive rural revolution in 'future-proof' agriculture

Farmer Rob Pickering last week planted nine hectares of flood-prone land in Lincolnshire with an African plant called miscanthus, or elephant grass. By selling the fast-growing crop as biofuel for Drax power station, he should earn as much as he would from selling wheat on the world market.

Pickering is part of a rural revolution that, thanks to climate change, low commodity prices and new consumer tastes, is seeing Britain's fields planted with crops that are more likely to end up as electricity or paint additives than food.

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