Family members of the Riverford Organics founder Guy Watson have agreed to prevent the local fox hunt from crossing land they own, but which is rented by the company. Riverford has been in operation for 30 years, and produces organic veg boxes from its base in Buckfastleigh, Devon.  

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One of the success stories of the organics sector, which weathered the recent downturn in organic sales, actually seeing its business grow, Riverford was petitioned by online campaign organisation 38 Degrees to end 'double standards' by allowing fox hunts to cross its rented land.

The petition was launched after the hunt was seen on Riverford land on 1st October.

At the beginning of the month, the organic veg growers issued a statement assuring that "Riverford does not sponsor or support fox hunting and believes that it will die a death" but claiming that the company had no control over land owned by Guy Watson's sister Louise, who is a master of the South Devon Hunt.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Watson stated that although he finds it "Regrettable that anyone enjoys a sport that causes suffering to animals," he respects his sister's right to engage in fox hunting, adding that "Tolerance is a virtue without which the world would be in constant conflict."

He continued, "We are aware that [the situation] is quite confusing: family farming businesses rarely start from a clean sheet but develop organically and untidily over time."

Mr Watson also acknowledged that Louise Watson's sponsorship of the South Devon Hunter Trials could have been construed as  coming from Riverford itself, adding that it was especially "Unfortunate that her support… included the website www.riverford.co.uk." He said, "We were unaware of this and have made clear that this cannot happen again."

A Riverford spokesperson told the local press that hunting has never been allowed on land owned by Mr Watson, or that is used to grow vegetables for the organic veg boxes.

'Ama', the founder of the 38 Degrees petition said, "In 48 hours 4,500 people, many of them Riverford customers, or potential Riverford customers, have made their point that Riverford need to… adopt more customer focused polices, respond to their public, become far more ethical, and refuse to take produce from any farm, including their own, where blood sports are practiced.

"After all, if their competitors can do this, why can’t they? The British public are against blood sports, and those who buy organic even more so, we won’t except anything less than cruelty free organic produce."

Some claimed the 38 Degrees campaign amounted to bullying and one group even set up a counter-campaign in support of the Watsons.