The Prince of Wales has voiced his concerns over how to best convince the British public of the quality and benefits of locally grown, sustainably produced food. Prince William, who is a big advocate of sustainability and climate change, went on another one of his “Duchy Days” this month at the Duchy of Cornwall, which he inherited from his father, King Charles, following the late Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022.
William, the 25th Duke of Cornwall, said that he wants to promote and highlight the work of British farmers amid cheap supermarket food and the “generalised” approach of the “mass retailers”. He told the Telegraph: “There is a huge problem here and I haven’t got an answer. We keep asking more and more of our farmers but you don’t necessarily get any benefits back on top of everything you have to do.”
The heir to the British throne visits parts of the Duchy once every four to six weeks, according to the newspaper.
His visits, usually kept private, include meetings with farm owners, families and stuff with the prince asking them about what he can do to help.
It is said that the locals are used to royal visits, with staff now expecting “follow-up calls or messages” after each of the “Duchy Days”.
For William, figuring out a way to promote the Duchy’s small producers is on his to-do list.
He says: “I see the Duchy as an extension of the work we do with the Royal Foundation.
“I see it as a branch of my philanthropy. There’s so much good we can do in the rural world.
“I see it [the Duchy] as another arm to the work that I want to do, which is being a positive force for good.
“I think the Duchy have got way more levels and gears they can go through to be able to be a bigger force in the community.”
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of the two royal duchies in England, along with the Duchy of Lancaster, and spans across 128,494 acres of land across 20 counties.
Its priorities under Prince William range from ending homelessness to restoring rivers, which align with the prince’s own personal ethos.
