Ceredigion farmers are doing “more than anyone else” in fighting climate change, especially people who “eat avocados or drink almond milk from the rainforest in South America”, a councillor has claimed.

With Ceredigion councillors agreeing to declare a worldwide climate emergency, Cllr Bryan Davies said more recognition needed to be given to the role of farmers, as well as greater efforts made to support them by buying local produce and reducing ‘food miles’.

He insisted that criticism of farmers for contributing to climate change was false and that they should instead be backed.

Cllr Davies said: “It is a duty on us to support this motion.

“We have to publicly state that we are facing this problem head-on and that there is an emergency.

“I would hope that all farmers and councillors support this motion so we can look locally at what’s happening, and put two fingers up to those people who criticise farmers in Ceredigion for destroying this planet.

"We’re doing our part more than anyone else, more than anyone who eats avocados or is drinking almond milk from the rainforest in South America.”

Council leader Ellen ap Gwynn, who put forward the motion to declare the emergency, said the council had been working to significantly reduce carbon emissions, leading to a drop of 45 per cent since 2007, with a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

But she added: “The next step is the formal statement, so that we set an example for our children and our grandchildren to show we’re thinking of their futures.”

While there was support for the motion, Cllr Ray Quant, who said he accepted there was a climate emergency, questioned how Ceredigion council could address a worldwide emergency and said: “We’re not here to police the whole world.”

Cllr ap Gwynn said: “We have to recognise we’re part of the world and being a part of the world means we act locally.

“Think global, act local, and that’s exactly what we’re doing there.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr ap Gwynn said: “I’m very proud that Ceredigion County Council has declared a global climate emergency.

“We are dedicated to protecting the environment and doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint.”