After receiving a number of emails about humane, sustainable farming High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall gives his thoughts.

I wholeheartedly agree that we need to ensure that farm animal welfare is of a very high standard, the use of cages and crates being to my mind unacceptable.

With regards to outdoor systems I feel that the use of appropriately large barns (with ample space, plenty of straw, natural light and effective ventilation) may in some cases be preferable to outdoor systems, but it is clear that one out of those two set ups is the least that we should provide for our farm animals.

Genetic selection for fast growth or high yields should only be pursued if it does not compromise the welfare of the animal in question, mutilations should be out of the question.

Encouraging the adoption of diets consisting of a lower proportion of meat is a complex issue. I do completely accept that there would be undoubted health benefits and that if less meat was consumed there would be less farm animals and therefore less methane emitted, but I feel a little uncomfortable with the state trying to coerce people into changing their behavior. On balance I feel I would be supportive of such a measure, but it would have to be carefully constructed.

The issue of how to ensure that the valuable income that farming provides to rural communities, like many in the High Peak, is maintained is I think another tricky one. If higher welfare production leads to the farmers produce being more valuable then even if there was a modest reduction in demand, due to the increased price, then their incomes would be protected. However if the price of meat was raised uniformly like this then it would be poorer families who would be having their diets forcibly changed, whilst the well off were little affected. This is of concern to me and I am not sure of a way round it to be quite honest, one way would be to try and ensure that the increase in price was not too large so as to not affect those on low incomes as much.

I am fully behind the reduction in the amount of cereal used to feed animals, as it is an incredibly inefficient way to use a human edible crop and is not what the animals would eat naturally in most cases.

Overall a careful approach needs to be taken to ensure that despite our best intentions with regards to animal welfare there are not negative unintended consequences from our actions to others in society.