Plans to drive innovation and harness pioneering technology in
farming will be set out today as part of the Government’s Food
Strategy which will back our farmers by helping to increase
domestic production, spread jobs and grow the economy.
Currently, the UK only produces 15% of tomatoes supplied
domestically, but new generation technology, such as sustainable
and efficient glasshouses, has opened up new opportunities for
British producers which will help to reduce reliance on overseas
production.
The plans outlined today – including incentives for industry and
investment in research - will support farmers to harness this
innovation to boost home-grown fruit and vegetable production,
and in turn create new job opportunities across the
country.
In light of the consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of
Ukraine for the global economy, which has caused knock on impacts
for food supplies as well as spikes in prices, the Strategy will
also set out the importance of maintaining and boosting our food
security, including plans to strengthen the resilience of our
supply chains and boost domestic production to help protect
against future economic shocks and crises.
It commits to broadly maintaining the current level of food that
we produce domestically and boosting production in sectors where
there are the biggest opportunities – such as horticulture and
seafood.
£270 million will be invested across farming innovation funding
programmes until 2029, to unlock technologies to drive
sustainable farming techniques which will help increase
productivity and profitability and the sector’s long-term
resilience.
As well as stepping up work with industry to identify ways to
help more people into jobs all along the food supply chain, the
strategy also sets out plans to create a new professional body
for the farming and growing industry to step up professional
training and develop clear career pathways, equipping people and
businesses with the skills needed to run sustainable and
profitable businesses.
Prime Minister said
“Our Food Strategy sets out a blueprint for how we will back
farmers, boost British industry and help protect people against
the impacts of future economic shocks by safeguarding our food
security.
“Harnessing new technologies and innovation, we will grow and eat
more of our own food - unlocking jobs across the country and
growing the economy, which in turn will ultimately help to reduce
pressure on prices.”
Environment Secretary said:
“The food industry is bigger than the automotive and aerospace
industries combined, offering employment opportunities,
apprenticeships and investment in research and
development.
“The strategy we are setting out today will increase the focus on
skills in the food sector, and the roles and career pathways
available. In particular, we will seek to boost our horticulture
industry and ensure the expertise needed to develop the sector
here in the UK.”
The Strategy follows the independent review of the food system by
Henry Dimbleby last year, which set out an analysis of the
challenges facing the food system.
The Government Food Strategy responds to these findings and
recommendations, accepting the majority of recommendations, with
policy initiatives to boost health, sustainability, accessibility
of diet to secure food supply, while also recognising the shared
global challenges of the war in Ukraine and the impact of the
pandemic on the global economy
The strategy also includes plans to:
- Consult on an ambition for 50% of
public sector expenditure on food procurement to be on food
either produced locally or to higher standards
- Incentivise the sector to use
surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes, and renewable
sources of energy to increase domestic horticultural
production
- Review the planning permission
process to support new developments of glasshouses
- Launch an independent review to
tackle labour shortages in the food supply chain, to look at the
roles of automation, domestic labour and migration to ensure UK
businesses can access the labour they require
- Consult on how to improve on and
expand animal welfare labelling, to help consumers identify when
products meet or exceed our high UK animal welfare standards
- Extend the Seasonal Workers visa
route to poultry, following a successful pilot last year
- Publish a framework for land use in
England next year
- Consult on food waste reporting for
larger businesses over a certain size
- Publish a statement setting out
requirements for those wishing to access the UK market to
objectively demonstrate they deliver an equivalent level of
health protection to our high domestic standards
- Explore how to make the most of
innovative feed additives that can reduce methane emissions from
livestock, to support sustainable farming
- Launch a new partnership between
the public and private sector to provide consumers with more
information about the food they eat while incentivising industry
to produce healthier, more ethical and sustainable goods
