Organic food business bans hunting on its land

An organic farm has stopped a hunt using land where it grows some of its vegetables after pressure from anti-hunting protestors.

Riverford Organic Farm started receiving abuse on social media earlier this month for reportedly supporting the South Devon Hunt.

Owner Guy Watson tried to clarify the situation explaining that the hunt were not allowed on land owned by Riverford Organics but that his sister Louise Watson — who is a master of the South Devon — allowed them on her land.

Riverford Organics rents some land from Miss Watson to grow vegetables and also uses milk from her farm.

A petition that was set up to boycott the company — which provides more than 47,000 boxes of vegetables to homes around the UK each week — received nearly 5,000 signatures in less than 48-hours.

Mr Watson initially maintained that it was up his sister what she allowed to happen on her land.

However, a spokesman from the company has now told H&H that the “hunt will no longer be permitted to cross any Riverford land, owed or rented by the Watson family”.

“We know we have lost some customers and are very sad about this, but we’ve looked at our statistics over the past couple of weeks and overall sales have been unaffected,” Mr Watson added in a statement.

“It’s been a really difficult — and at times frustrating — situation as lots of inaccuracies have been shared about us as a business despite the fact that we have spent the last 30 years striving to be as ethical as possible.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now