- Members appointed to Expert Working Group to develop the
National Food Strategy for Wales
- Terms of Reference published, setting out four pillars for a
resilient and sustainable food system
- Plans to fast-track early action on school
food, edible horticulture and the meat supply
chain
The Welsh Government has today announced the membership of the
Expert Working Group that will help shape the National Food
Strategy for Wales, alongside the publication of the Group's
Terms of Reference.
The Group is chaired by , owner of Wright's Food
Emporium in Llanarthne, who was appointed in July following
the announcement of the Strategy at the Royal Welsh Agricultural
Show. Since then, Wright has worked with key figures in the
sector to help develop the Terms of Reference, which set out
the rationale, objectives and working methods for the
Strategy going forward.
The Strategy will be built around four pillars: health and
wellbeing, food security, economy and rural development, and
environment. Together, these will guide a whole-system approach
to food policy in Wales,
from producer to plate; retail, health,
education, public procurement and the circular
economy.
Joining Simon Wright on the Expert Working Group
are:
- Tim Lang, City University London
- Deiniol ap Dafydd, Blas ar Fwyd
- Catherine , Chair, Hybu Cig Cymru
- Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive, Food, Farming and Countryside
Commission
- Sam Kemp, Torfaen Food Partnership
- Shea Buckland-Jones, Head of Policy and Advocacy, WWF
Cymru
- Dr Rhian Hayward, Wales Board Member, Food Standards
Agency
- A representative from NFU Cymru
Members have been selected to represent the
breadth of the Welsh food system, spanning agriculture,
horticulture, retail, hospitality, red meat processing, public
health, food poverty, environmental policy and food
safety.
The Group will meet regularly to identify shared
challenges and opportunities across the food system, recommend
early, practical interventions ahead of the final Strategy, and
design ways for the public to help shape and own the Strategy's
development. Final adoption of the recommendations will
remain the responsibility of Welsh Ministers.
To make early progress, three groups
will focus on food in schools, expanding edible
horticulture in Wales, and the security of the Welsh meat supply
chain. These sub-groups will draw
on additional external expertise to identify quick
wins alongside the longer-term work of the Strategy.
Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability,
said:
I want to thank all those who have agreed to serve on this Expert
Working Group. Their breadth of experience, from our farms and
fisheries to our schools and communities, reflects the scale of
ambition we need to transform our food system for the
better.
Chair of the Expert Working Group, said:
I'm pleased and excited that so many respected voices from across
Welsh food and farming have agreed to join this work.
We will be working with stakeholders and communities across Wales
in a national mission to achieve a more prosperous, healthier,
environmentally friendly and secure future for Welsh food.
Notes to editors
- The Group is expected to report on at
least one of these initial priorities (food in
schools, expanding edible horticulture in Wales, the security of
the Welsh meat supply chain) before January 2027,
publish draft proposals in summer 2027, and present its final
report to Welsh Ministers by autumn 2027.
