LOCAL MP Rachel Gilmour is championing a new plan designed to safeguard Britain’s food security.

Mrs Gilmour, whose constituency takes in West Somerset, parts of the Blackdown Hills and Culm Valley, and parishes bordering Wellington, is backing a Liberal Democrat plan to tackle the food security crisis.

It includes a ‘Farm First’ training scheme, inspired by ‘Teach First’, to encourage more young people into farming.

Mrs Gilmour said only one in 20 farmers, or five per cent, were aged under 35 years, raising serious concerns about farming’s long-term viability.

She feared the UK risked losing a generation of farmers unless Government took urgent steps to make agricultural careers more accessible and attractive.

The plan also calls for stronger education on nutrition and home-grown food production to support future generations and combat rising food poverty.

The Liberal Democrats want to see an improved understanding of where food comes from within the UK, the harnessing of more locally-grown produce, and greater access to agricultural training as a backbone to a resilient domestic food system.

Mrs Gilmour, who also committed to continue campaigning for the Government to reverse the Family Farm Tax, said: “It is outrageous that so many families are struggling to afford food while our farmers across Somerset and Devon are being pushed to the brink, hammered by soaring costs and the looming threat of the Family Farm Tax.

“We need a complete reset in how this country values farming and where food comes from.

“A ‘Farm First’ scheme would give young people a real route into agriculture, with the training and confidence to build a future in the industry.

“If the Government keeps turning a blind eye, we will not just lose vital rural skills, we will jeopardise our entire food supply.

“No nation is secure if it cannot feed itself.”