Green manifesto: Party would triple funding for nature-friendly farming
12th June 2024
The Green Party has today published its manifesto (12th June), including plans for ‘greener farming’ and more locally grown food.
If elected, the Green Party has said it will push for funding for farmers to be almost tripled to help transition to nature-friendly practices.
In its manifesto, the party outlined plans to link farm payments to the reduced use of pesticides and other agro-chemicals.
Additionally, it would push for biodiversity and soil health to be conserved and improved, leading to cleaner rivers.
READ MORE: Lib Dems promise an extra £1bn a year for ELMS
Local food
The Greens are also looking to increase the amount of food grown and traded in the UK, as locally as possible.
Plans to tackle the “failing food system” would see all children being given a free school meal each day and free breakfast clubs for children up to year 6.
Schools would get children involved in growing, preparing and cooking food, as part of the core curriculum.
The manifesto also alludes to policies that will ensure good quality surplus food is not wasted.
READ MORE: Conservative manifesto: What does it promise for farmers?
“Failing food system”
In its manifesto, the Greens said: “Our food system is failing us all. Poor diets are estimated to cost our NHS £6.5bn a year yet successive governments have failed to take on the unhealthy food lobby.
“Meanwhile, the way we produce our food is damaging our natural world and our climate.
“Our food system accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and is the greatest driver of nature loss and pollution in our rivers,” the party claims.
The Green Party said its MPs would work with farmers and other stakeholders to ‘transform our food and farming system, so we are producing healthy, nutritious food at fair prices for consumers and with fair wages for growers’.
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