London, UK: The NFU, British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality and Food and Drink Federation 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 of “food 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 letter spells out six urgent priorities:
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.”