Wiltshire Council has voted resoundingly to oppose 'attempts to diminish the role meat, dairy, and arable farmers play in its rural way of life.'

The motion was submitted by Conservative Councillors Nabil Najjar and Elizabeth Threlfall, and commits Wiltshire Council to supporting local poultry, arable and livestock farmers.

The vote was held in the full council meeting on Tuesday, February 20, during which 70 councillors approved the motion and three councillors abstained.

No councillors voted against the motion.

This means that food at council-catered events will be sourced from local suppliers, specifically including meat, fish, and dairy.

A member of Wiltshire Climate Alliance submitted the following question regarding the motion: “Does Council accept the science and recommendations that dairy and ruminant meat consumption in high consuming nations like ours needs to be urgently and deeply reduced to meet binding UK climate targets and Wiltshire Net Zero aspirations, and also to take pressure off land use and biodiversity loss?”

Wiltshire Council responded that the advice on its climate webpage suggests residents “eat a balanced diet, which for most of us means consuming less meat and dairy.”

Councillor Richard Clewer, the leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “It really is important that we stand up and look after and support our farmers.

“They’ve become almost a political football on the national stage, and that isn’t helpful.”

Liberal Democrat Councillor Adrian Foster said: “Our farmers have been let down very badly since we left the EU and they need some support, so local support is important if we’re going to have a viable industry for agriculture.”

Fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor David Vigar expressed concern about the possible involvement of Countryside Alliance and said that although he supported the idea, he did not want to be “part of a campaign against plant-based food.”

Councillor Najjar responded that he understood the interest Countryside Alliance had shown, but that the motion was “very much” of the two councillors’ own creation.

After the meeting, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the Countryside Alliance, said: “This is a victory for common sense and we thank Nabil Najjar for getting this incredibly important motion through council.

“It is right that at a time when some councils are opting to ban meat and dairy, like Oxfordshire, Wiltshire demonstrates its wholehearted support for all farmers and the vital work they are doing to produce sustainable food to put on our tables, while also working hard to enhance and protect our amazing countryside.

“We want to see more councils back our campaign and support farmers and food producers in the same that Wiltshire has now committed to doing.”