WILDLIFE lovers have insisted that Dorset is ahead of the game in sustainable food production.

The Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) said that the county was already focusing on local produce and moves to limit the environmental footprint of food production. The charity’s claims come after the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn launched a new food security strategy at the Oxford Farming Conference. His message to farmers was to produce more food to feed the expanding population, while remaining mindful of the environment and natural resources. Emily Newton, who is grazing animals officer for Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “In Dorset we are lucky to have a stunning, varied and diverse landscape and, compared to other counties, a huge variety of wildlife.

“This is thanks in part to nearly 50 years of work by Dorset Wildlife Trust with the farming community.”

Dorset Wildlife Trust manages more than 40 reserves but is keen to hammer home the importance of sustainable methods to other food producers.

Emily said: “We recognise that the agricultural landscape is vital for our future as well as the wildlife that lives here.

“We aim to encourage private landowners and farmers to create or restore habitats for wildlife.

“We have shown that the business of producing food does not have to be at the expense of the environment.”

In West Dorset, the DWT’s Pastures New project focuses on restoring and creating flower rich grasslands, with grazing by livestock. The DWT says that the Pastures New initiative helps to preserve some of Dorset’s rare grasslands without detriment to the environment.