Amy has lived with her family in Chipping Norton since 2011 and has a growing need to talk about, promote and push conversation towards local Green Party policies that are properly caring and sharing towards people, animals and the environment.

Full statement

It’s crazy that there is not more Green representation in local government. All major parties promise strong action on the climate, but the Green Party is the most radical by far and this is what we need. The Conservatives passed a law obliging the UK to halt virtually all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Labour is also aiming for earlier than 2050. The Liberal Democrats more ambitious, with a 2045 target. But the Greens say emissions must be eliminated by 2030 and this is what we need to strive for. It would be wonderful to see Oxfordshire as part of this vision. The Green Party wants 50% of farms to be doing agro-forestry in a decade – for example, growing vegetables or raising livestock between rows of trees. This process would start a chain of events that enhance the functionality and sustainability of the farming system, such as greatly enhanced yields from staple food crops, enhanced farmer livelihoods from income generation, increased biodiversity, improved soil structure and health, reduced erosion, and carbon absorption.

We have a strong groundswell of green agricultural intentions in this part of the Cotswolds. It would be wonderful to harness this energy to grow the number of Green Party members and supporters, and increase the awareness that we need to look closely at how we produce our own food in locally.