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Agriculture: Animal Welfare

Volume 486: debated on Thursday 15 January 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department takes to encourage consumers to purchase meat and dairy products produced (a) locally and (b) in accordance with (i) animal welfare and (ii) environmental regulations. (244682)

While the Government believe that buying locally produced food is a matter of personal choice for consumers, we recognise that it can bring benefits to producers and consumers alike. We have helped to facilitate this choice by providing funding for a range of measures to help regional and local food producers, such as “meet the buyer” events, the encouragement of food hubs and shared distribution facilities, and training. Support is also available under Rural Development Programme for England for activities linked to the promotion of quality regional and local food, the use of native English breeds of cattle in environmental stewardship schemes and for activities linked to promoting the environmental sustainability of the livestock sector.