The Liberal Vannin party will be discussing the island’s food security in its first public meeting of 2023.

Environment Minister Clare Barber and Manx National Farmers’ Union president Ean Parsons will be on the panel of speakers.

Others are yet to be confirmed.

The meeting will be chaired by Liberal Vannin chair Paul Weatherall, who anticipates questions on the island’s meat plant, Laxey Glen Mills, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, self sufficiency and the impact of climate change.

He said: ‘The island’s food security is far more than ensuring transport links with the UK and the wider world.

‘The social and cultural fabric of the island is built on our farming and fishing communities, which we lose at our peril.

‘A sustainable future must be planned for and supported by our government and the whole island.

‘We all have a part to play in the purchasing choices we make as consumers. I look forward to a lively and robust discussion.’

The meeting will be held at the Manx Legion Club in Douglas on Monday, January 23, at 7.30pm. Organisers say all are welcome.