Suffolk County Council pledges to keep meat and dairy on menu

Andrew Blenkiron said the NFU was "delighted to have the support of Suffolk County Council"

A motion to ensure meat and dairy options remain on the table at all council events has been passed.

Suffolk County Council voted to pass the Conservative motion, which would also ensure catering for council-organised events was sourced locally.

The council has committed to always include meat and dairy options, alongside plant-based alternatives.

A total 59 councillors backed the motion and three Green Party councillors abstained.

Conservative councillor Richard Rout, who proposed the motion on Thursday, said he was "delighted".

"Agriculture and agribusiness are an integral part of our local economy," he said.

"This motion not only commits us to doubling down on our support for local farmers, but also ensures dietary choice at all our events."

Richard Rout said that farming in East Anglia has a "ripple effect" on employment and investment

During the full council meeting, Mr Rout said he wanted to "expel" some of the myths around the carbon impact of the meat and dairy industry.

"Emissions from the UK livestock sector is not only lower than the EU average, it's lower than the residential energy or transport emissions," he said.

According to the government's 2021 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions report, it was estimated transport was responsible for about 26% of greenhouse gas emissions, residential for 16%, and agriculture for 11%.

Buying local

Mr Rout continued that the council should "promote and support" the innovation shown by local farmers to reduce emissions.

Andrew Blenkiron, chairman for the National Farmer's Union (NFU) in Suffolk, said he was pleased that the "vital role" of farmers in the county was recognised.

"We would now like to see other organisations following this example and for the public to support local and British farmers by continuing to buy local produce," he said.

In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council angered farmers when it passed a Green Party motion to ban meat and dairy at its events.

More recently, Norwich City Council, Edinburgh City Council and Haywards Heath Town Council signed the Plant Based Treaty, which called for an end to the construction of any future livestock farm and pushes plant-based food in schools and hospitals.