Ahead of the general election, party leaders are being urged by
the UK's food and drink supply chain to ensure policies on food
security are front and centre of their public campaigns, to set
out how they intend to support domestic food and farming sectors,
and how they will work to ensure resilient supply chains.
The NFU, British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality and Food and
Drink Federation – representatives of the country's farmers,
supermarkets, hospitality, catering and food companies – have
joined forces to express frustration at the lack of coverage
during the campaigns so far as to how the next government will
approach the issue despite widespread agreement that “food
security is national security”.
In a letter to the party leaders, the organisations say this
omission in public election campaigning needs to be urgently
addressed before polling day on 4 July.
The letter states: “Our food system has shown itself in recent
years to be efficient and resilient, maintaining UK food supply
through a series of major challenges, including Covid-19,
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and new trading arrangements by
leaving the European Union. At times those supply chains have
come under severe strain, leading to shortages of some food and
drink products and increasing costs at all points of the chain
from producer to consumer. It would be foolhardy to assume that
our food system will always withstand shocks, especially against
the backdrop of increased geo-political instability and climate
change.
“The basic responsibility of any government is to ensure its
citizens are safe and properly fed. But while we have heard much
about defence and energy security in recent weeks, we have heard
very little about food security. The lack of focus on food in the
political narrative during the campaigns demonstrates a worrying
blind-spot for those that would govern us.
“Getting these policies right has multiple benefits for our
country and the public beyond simply guaranteeing our food
security. A thriving food and drink sector is an engine for
economic growth, one that is spread equitably across all parts of
the UK and which provides varied employment at all entry levels.
Furthermore, maintaining productive and profitable businesses
across the food and drink supply chain not only contributes to
our food security, but also means, with over two-thirds of our
land used for farming, that our natural environment can be
managed sustainably to protect our environment and help meet
climate ambitions.
“A well-functioning supply chain also gives consumers access to a
wide range of fresh produce and healthy food, is a crucial aspect
of improving diets, alleviating pressure on the health service
and improving health outcomes for our citizens.”
The letter sets out six urgent priorities for whichever party
forms the next government to ensure British food is available at
all price points, in an increasingly uncertain and unstable
world. They include:
- A planning system that allows investment in modern buildings
and infrastructure
- Work with the food and drink sector to deliver a plan to
achieve our net zero ambitions
- A coherent industrial policy that includes a tax framework
incentivising investment, fosters research and innovation in the
UK, takes a joined-up approach to immigration, skills and
employment policies that ensure the sector has access to the
labour it needs
- An agricultural budget that enables the delivery of
environmental objectives, delivers targets for climate and
biodiversity
- An approach to trade that seeks to reduce non-tariff barriers
with key trading partners
- A long-term partnership with industry to tackle obesity
and health inequalities in communities across the UK
The letter concludes: “These policies are critical to the future
health and prosperity of our nation. We should never take our
food security for granted, and whoever forms the next government
will need to address these issues as a priority. Taken together,
these policies can provide the critical ingredient – confidence –
that will allow industry to deliver a resilient food system,
investing for the future, driving productivity, leading the way
in energy efficiency, continuing the journey of protecting and
enhancing the environment, and most of all, ensuring that British
food remains on our shelves and available for all.”
-ends-
Notes to editor:
- The letter has been signed by NFU President Bradshaw, British Retail Consortium
Chief Executive Helen Dickinson, Karen Betts, Chief Executive,
Food and Drink Federation, UK Hospitality Chief Executive
Officer Kate Nicholls.
- The four organisations represent businesses throughout the
food and drink supply chain, from farm to fork, including farmers
and growers, manufacturers, processors, supermarkets, restaurants
and hospitality, and public sector catering in schools and
hospitals.
- The food and drink supply chain is the UK's largest
industrial sector. It employs 7.7m people with a total estimated
Gross Value Added (GVA) of over £240bn.
- The NFU election manifesto can be viewed here.
- The FDF manifesto can be viewed here
