Cornwall Council's food motion welcomed by farmers

Kate Martin said the move was bucking a trend seen at other county halls

Members of the farming community have welcomed a council motion to serve locally sourced food at meetings.

The Cornwall Council motion means meat, dairy and vegetarian options will be sourced from county suppliers.

The inclusion of meat bucks a trend in other councils toward plant-based food, with Exeter City Council's policy courting controversy with farmers.

At the Royal Cornwall Show, Kate Martin of Treway Farm in St Austell said the move was "amazing".

She added: "They are really bucking the trend from councils across the UK that are really moving towards a plant-based diet for their workers and meetings.

"To have that backing for Cornish is just amazing."

John Sheaves said it was a "bold message"

Conservative councillor Connor Donnithorne said the "landmark motion" showed a "commitment to the food sector".

Some environmental campaigners are urging those in power to embrace the shift towards plant-based food.

Meanwhile, John Sheaves from Taste of the West said: "It's a very bold message and I congratulate them for making that bold message.

"Down here we've got such a special, unique area; in Cornwall in particular, you've got a lot of small dairy farms, a lot of livestock farms.

"They are not feeding into international supply chains. More importantly, the carbon footprint down here is a lot, lot lower."

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