Richard Clothier MBE for services to sustainable agriculture and food production

That this House congratulates Richard Clothier, a third-generation cheesemaker and the managing director of Wyke Farms in Wyke Champflower near Bruton’, on being awarded an MBE in His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours for services to sustainable agriculture and food production; recognises that for over 160 years, Wyke Farms has been producing Somerset Cheddar through sustainable practices, with Richard having carried these values forward further to make world class cheese sold in over 160 countries; notes that under Richard’s management, Wyke Farms has utilised renewable energy and carbon reduction using solar and biogas, recycled water to minimise waste, whilst supporting biodiversity and nurturing soil health, with their Ivy cheese being the first ever carbon neutral cheese produced; and calls on the Government to support sustainable and nature-friendly farming by accelerating the roll-out of the ELMS, properly funding it with an extra £1 billion a year to help advance agroecological and regenerative farming and increase resilience to climate change.