Ahead of a major summit on climate change set to be held in Glasgow later this year the Green Party are calling on the government to invest in farming systems that minimize the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Speaking in the House of Lords Green Party peer Natalie Bennett said, “The government has adopted the principle of ‘public money for public good’, but Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) are still sketchy, with experts expressing concern about their ability to actually improve practices”.
She went on to say that “A flourishing ecosystem starts with healthy soils- a rich ecosystem of fungi, bacteria and invertebrates which, when not destroyed by pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and well managed for pest reduction, is the basis of sustainable farming”.
The Green Party has in place a range of policies to make agriculture more sustainable, including ending factory farming and incentivizing changes in food consumption to incentivize healthy diets based on locally produced food.
Green Party candidates standing in nine wards across Newcastle-under-Lyme have endorsed the development of more sustainable farming methods and taking action to reduce food waste.
A spokesperson said “how we source our food is going to be a vital part of moving towards an economy and society that is fit for the future. It is possible to have a system of agriculture that is economically and ecologically viable and the policies the Green Party promotes show how that can be done”.
Speaking in the Lords about the role Green Party councillors play in creating a sustainable food and farming policy Natalie Bennett said, “Green councillors are already supporting great projects to do that, including Community Supported Agriculture and urban food growing on allotments, community plots and gardens that can be another important source of food security while improving public and nature’s health. Greens have also been at the forefront of defending county farms- a crucial first rung on the ladder for many farm businesses.”
Cutting food waste is part of the plan for a zero-waste Staffordshire outlined in the Green Party manifesto for the county, you can also read what individual candidates say about protecting the countryside in their personal statements.