The Farmers' Union of Wales today welcomed a Welsh Government's Wales Upland Forum report and its key recommendations into the future of Wales' uplands.
"Unlocking the Potential of the Uplands" reports on the current state of the Welsh uplands and makes recommendations about maintaining livestock production and other key industries which maintain the fabric of the majority of Wales' heartlands.
The report also recognises the central role agriculture plays in terms of the management of Wales' most precious ecosystems.
After the launch of the report in Llanelwedd, at which FUW president Emyr Jones spoke alongside deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies, Mr Jones said: "The publication of this report marks an important milestone and the FUW fully supports the key recommendations made by the forum.
"Our uplands represent not only a physical backbone to Wales, but also a cultural and economic backbone. Vast numbers rely on these areas economically, socially and, of course, for their recreation which itself brings economic benefits.
"The key industries in Wales' uplands are like the legs of a stool - if one of the legs is taken away, the whole lot will come crashing down."
Mr Jones commended the forum for rightly recognising farming as being one of those industries without which the uplands would "fall apart".
"The emphasis on the importance of maintaining food production and grazing livestock is welcome as is the proposal to introduce support in areas of natural constraint," Mr Jones added.
"We have always maintained that this is central to securing the sustainability of the uplands, and this is just one of a host of recommendations which we believe should be taken up in order to secure the future of our uplands and all the industries it supports.
"These recommendations are key to the backbone of Wales which holds us up economically, culturally and socially."