Green candidate in Makerfield by-election wants British farming to be 'decolonised' with 'inclusive spaces'

A charity run by the Green Party’s candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election has called for British farming to be "decolonised" through the creation of more "inclusive spaces" within the agricultural sector.

Zack Polanski’s party unveiled 38-year-old Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the key by-election on Tuesday.

Ms Wakefield, a mother of two, serves as executive director of environmental charity Eating Better.

She had previously sought selection for the Green Party in Gorton and Denton earlier this year before losing out to Hannah Spencer, who later became the party’s fifth MP.

Eating Better has hosted workshops encouraging participants to adopt “decolonial decision-making” and create “intentionally inclusive spaces” in British farming.

According to material published on the charity’s website, attendees were also encouraged to “understand the unseen advantages they may have had and how people without these characteristics may have faced barriers”.

Last year, the charity shared a report by American activist Caroline J Sumlin discussing “white supremacy culture” within farming and outlining ways to challenge “colonial power and legacies” in the food industry.

The report cited “defensiveness”, “perfectionism” and “a sense of urgency” as examples of so-called white supremacy culture.

These themes appeared under a section labelled “decoloniality”, which the report described as action that "de-centres western knowledge and celebrates the knowledge of indigenous, racialised and marginalised communities”.

The report said: “To decolonise food is to rethink our relationship with it and take a fairer, more connected, holistic approach.

“Civil society can help by centring marginalised communities, building solidarity across cultures and embedding intersectionality.

"This would challenge colonial power and legacies in the food system.”

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Ms Wakefield also wrote the foreword to the charity’s “Nourishing Justice” report, which claimed Britain’s food system is marked by “racial oppression and exclusion”.

The report said: “In the UK our food system mirrors and entrenches racial oppression and exclusion where it exists in society.

"It’s why race has a huge influence on people’s experience of the entire food system, from food access, to food sector work, to inclusion in food policy spaces."

Welsh farmer Gareth Wyn Jones criticised the workshops, arguing the countryside was unfairly being labelled racist.

The 59-year-old told The Times: “There will be racism in every walk of life. But you cannot just point the finger at the countryside as racist.

"Because that’s just another way of pointing and putting more pressure on the industry, and that can be very, very daunting sometimes."

He urged the charity to "grow up a little bit" and hold more "positive conversations" with British farmers rather than "keep pointing the finger at us".

Mr Polanski’s party declined to comment on Ms Wakefield’s links to the charity.

A party spokesman said: “We have announced a superb candidate in Sarah Wakefield and will be campaigning to take the fight to Reform and challenge their dangerous politics, including plans to sell off the NHS.

“We will continue to ask which version of Andy Burnham is going to show up.”

Ms Wakefield’s candidacy was announced after children’s safeguarding specialist Chris Kennedy withdrew from the contest citing "personal and family reasons".

He stepped aside just hours after being unveiled as the Greens’ initial candidate for the by-election.

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