In a speech to the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union today,
Green Party leader will warn that food
insecurity is not a ‘distant threat' and is already impacting
customers, farmers and workers in the food industry. Warning that
the UK's food system is ‘close to collapse' under pressure from
rising temperatures and global instability, Polanski will call
for urgent action to support the UK's food resilience.
The speech comes as figures from the Autonomy Institute show that
UK fruit and veg prices could rise 170% by 2050, with the climate
crisis set to become the leading driver of fresh produce
inflation in the UK.
Speaking at the union's keynote address, Polanski will accuse the
government of ‘just not getting it' when it comes to the crisis
facing the UK's food system. He will call for government to
produce a real plan to boost British food production and support
customers struggling to afford food.
He will call for:
-
Support for farmers to adapt their practises to a changing
climate to make UK food growing more resilient
-
Stronger regulation of supermarkets to ensure farmers get a
fair deal for their produce
-
Free school meals for all primary and secondary pupils to
support families struggling to put food on the table
-
A £15/hour minimum wage for all workers to tackle the cost of
living crisis.
Polanski will say:
“Just a couple of weeks ago, we saw the hottest May day ever
recorded in the UK. By the beginning of May, the UK had received
23% less rain than average. The Climate Change Committee warns
that within 25 years we could see temperatures above 40°C.
“That doesn't just mean more people getting sick from extreme
heat, or more pressure on infrastructure that just isn't built
for these temperatures. As many of you in this room well know, it
has terrifying implications for the most fundamental need we all
have – food.
“And right now, from food growers to customers – and everyone in
between – the crisis is already making itself felt.
“That's something you all know well – and it's time we started
listening to you.
“Because whether you get up at the crack of dawn to serve pasties
to hungry commuters, spend hours rising dough, or work in rain or
shine picking fruit – your work is what keeps this country
moving.
“But all too often, that fact is forgotten. Your work is sneered
at, shrugged off, or taken for granted.
“Your pay doesn't match the importance of the work you do – and
doesn't keep up with your rising bills. Your hours get longer,
you're expected to work in increasingly hot or wet conditions,
you're on a precarious contract so you're scared to take sick
leave or have a day off to spend with your kids.
“And all the while, when you go to the supermarket to put food on
the table, the prices there are rising too – while the farmers
that produced it aren't being paid fairly either.
“The system is broken. And under increasing strain from the
climate crisis, it's close to collapse.”
Dr. Will Stronge, CEO at the Autonomy Institute,
said:
"We have been cautious in our assumptions – looking only at
heatwaves, and only against a stable inflation backdrop. The
conclusion is still stark: within fifteen years, climate change
will be the biggest single factor driving up the cost of fresh
food.
“Politicians cannot afford to wait and see. The time to build
food resilience into our industrial strategy is now, before the
pressures become acute."
