The Green Party has appointed its first-ever agriculture spokesperson.
Oliver Dowding, who is based in Somerset, has farmed livestock, arable crops and vegetables during his career. He now grows organic arable crops and grassland.
He said his priorities will be to help farmers and growers achieve better stability in context of volatile market pricing, and said he is in “no doubt” that agriculture would not benefit from leaving the EU.
He also stressed that the Green Party appreciates the need for “flexible policies” to cope with market and consumer demands upon the agriculture sector.
While the EU is far from perfect, it’s crucial that we remain part of a more democratic Europe, and is essential if farmers are to retain access to vital markets, and also be able to source crucially needed labourers from within Europe,” Dowding told news outlet Farming UK.