WORCESTERSHIRE’S schools should be serving food grown and produced locally at lunchtimes, say Reform UK.
A motion put forward by Reform councillors will call for county schools to serve “food sourced from local farmers” wherever possible.
County councillor Justin Bowen, who will present the motion at next month’s full meeting of Worcestershire County Council, says the scheme would benefit pupils, farmers and the environment.
“Living in a rural community, with neighbours and friends who are farmers, I’ve watched over recent years how many of them have struggled,” he said.
“A combination of successive government policies, global crises and extreme weather conditions have all combined to create unprecedented challenges.
“Core farming costs of energy, labour, fertiliser, animal feed and so on have all risen exponentially.
COUNCIL: Cllr Bowen will present his motion at the next full council meeting of Worcestershire County Council (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
“At the same time, the prices farmers receive for their produce are being squeezed more and more by supermarkets and cheap foreign imports from countries that have lower welfare, food safety and environmental practices than our own. And that’s before we talk about the impact of the Family Farm Tax.”
Cllr Bowen, who was cabinet member for children and families under the council’s previous Reform administration, said: “For many, it no longer pays to grow food, and that makes this a matter of food security.
“It’s not just locally that farmers are struggling, it is a national crisis, and a country that can’t feed itself can’t defend itself.
“Over recent months I’ve been speaking with local farmers, my neighbours and the National Farmers Union, and working with colleagues have put this motion forward.
“We want every school to source the food they serve from local farmers and local producers. Any catering services that the council uses should do the same.
“If we can do this, the benefits will be huge; by giving local farmers secure demand we secure jobs.
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“We can build a sense of community around schools, with children being able to see exactly where their food comes from. It will also benefit the environment, with lower transport and fuel usage.”
Should the motion receive the backing of a majority of councillors, Cllr Bowen wants council officers to report back within three months with any barriers to making it happen.
He said it’s time for the council to “stand up and do what it can to support our farmers and our rural community”.
