Scottish council promotes ‘shop local’

THREE councils, including the first in Scotland, have signed onto a Countryside Alliance pro-farming campaign over the past two weeks.

Highland Council, Rutland County Council and Peterborough City Council, and have passed motions committing to encouraging residents to shop locally when purchasing food, including meat, dairy, and plant-based products, with the aim of reducing food miles to plates.

Highland Lib Dem councillor Angus Macdonald said: “Britain imports 46% of our food – perhaps in the Highlands we import 70%. We don’t help our own farmers in this respect. They get grants not to have livestock. What can our council really do to help crofts and help farmers in the West?

The move comes after a string of councils around the UK have voted to ban meat and dairy items on council-catered menus elsewhere and committed to transitioning to fully plantbased catering for council meetings. The Countryside Alliance said in passing the pro-farming motion, the three councils have become the eighth, ninth, and tenth councils respectively to defy the vegan trend.

A growing movement by farmers concerned about cheap imports and punitive agriculture policies has prompted a wave of protests in England and Wales, with more than 100 tractors and agricultural vehicles gather at Westminster.

Sabina Roberts, a spokesperson for the Countryside Alliance, said: “It is fantastic to see three more councils back our landmark motion and recognise the work that farmers do to both provide us with quality produce and protect our countryside.

“It is more important than ever for farmers to be a part of the conversation about our climate future – and supporting local, sustainable produce is vital within that effort.”

In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council sparked outrage among farmers, including Jeremy Clarkson, when it passed a motion submitted by a Green party councillor, to ban meat and dairy at its events. At the time, the council justified the policy by saying it was ‘in the interest of the health of our planet and the health of our people’.

Three councils, Edinburgh City Council, Norwich City Council, and Haywards Heath Town Council in Sussex have also signed up to the ‘PlantBased Treaty’, which calls for an end to the construction of any future livestock farm and pushes plant-based food in schools and hospitals. It also includes a pledge to promote vegan food over animal products.

Enfield Borough Council also removed meat from the menu of its catering service in 2020.