Farmers welcome 'long overdue' support

Farmers have welcomed a "fantastic" and "long overdue" decision to prioritise providing local produce in council-run care homes and schools.

Gloucestershire County Council agreed to support the local agricultural sector amid "real and growing pressure" in the industry.

The support includes an audit of the council's procurement, a review of catering, an evaluation of the Made in Gloucestershire programme and a public health plan to tackle mental health issues among agricultural workers.

Richard Cornock, a dairy farmer near Wotton-under-Edge, said: "It's really important that people do have a link with a local producer and just understand the work involved in what goes on their plate."

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the motion at a council meeting on Wednesday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Cornock - who has built a following on social media as The Funky Farmer - told BBC Radio Gloucestershire that supporting and investing in the local economy was "very important" financially and environmentally.

He said that carbon footprint was discussed "all the time" and added: "You can't think about worrying about your carbon footprint if you're not thinking about sourcing produce locally."

James Cox, a farmer in Tetbury, said those in the industry would "always" welcome more support.

"Wherever possible, we should be using local food," he said.

He acknowledged that there were seasonal limitations on growing some food, but said it was important to be "innovative" to use whatever was available.

He added that the financial implications of the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran meant that sourcing produce locally would be a "very sensible thing".

Councillor Daryl Corps, who proposed the motion, said "rising costs, volatile markets, difficult weather and increasing pressures on labour" had created a "perfect storm" for farmers.

"For many family farms this is not theoretical, these are businesses built over generations now facing long-term financial uncertainty that simply does not reflect the reality of how farming income actually works," he said.

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