Tuesday 19
May, 10.00, committee room 6, Palace
of Westminster
The EFRA Committee will examine the impact of the Iran war
on the UK's food supply chains, and what policies could
make them more resilient and fairer to
producers, manufacturers and consumers.
The current conflict
has curtailed fertiliser production, due to
shipments of ammonia and urea through the strait of
Hormuz being delayed or halted altogether. Oil prices
also rose 30% in March this year, causing a knock-on effect to
energy costs for many sectors.
Among the witnesses in this session, part of the Committee's
long-term thematic work on ‘food supply chain fairness and
resilience', will be leading food policy expert and advisor,
Professor Tim Lang. He will answer questions about
the potential implications for food security from
the Iran war, and to what extent the
UK's system has structural fragilities that
may need to be addressed.
Also on the panel, Karen Betts CEO of the Food and
Drink Federation, which focuses on policy and business
practice, will set out the perspective of food and drink
manufacturers and the wider supply chain. The Federation has
revised its food inflation forecast upwards to around 9% by the
end of 2026. She will also be asked to
discuss pressures on food production, and whether the
Government has hit the right balance between environmental
regulation and added costs.
A third witness, Hannah Brinsden of the Food Foundation charity,
will help the Committee explore the knock-on effects
for consumers, particularly the impact on food affordability and
availability for low-income households.
The session will also reflect on lessons learnt
from previous shocks to food supply chains, including
Covid‑19 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Witnesses from 10.00:
- Tim Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy, City
University
- Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Food
Foundation
- Karen Betts OBE, Chief Executive, Food and Drink
Federation
