In a speech to the Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) today, (January 9), the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed has set out the Government’s support for British food and the importance of nature in a sustainable food system, saying: “A resilient food system relies on domestic production.”
Mr Reed reminded delegates of Labour’s manifesto commitment to use the Government’s purchasing power to back British produce, with its ambition for 50% of food in hospitals, army bases and prisons to be local or produced to high environmental standards. He added: “For the first time, Government will now monitor where food bought by the public sector comes from, the critical first step in helping the public estate buy more British food, and ensuring farmers get a fairer share of the £5 billion a year spent on public sector catering contracts.”
Restoring nature
In support of nature restoration, which Mr Reed described as “vital to food production,” he also confirmed £5bn investment over the next two years in sustainable food production. This is to help all farmers to transition to more nature-friendly farming methods. “Without nature, we cannot have long-term food security,” he insisted.
Bolder action needed
Responding to the announcements, Brendan Costelloe, Soil Association Policy Director said: “If the Secretary of State wants to achieve his goal of long-term food security, profitability and sustainability for our farming sector, then simply monitoring for British food in public institutions will not be enough. We need mandatory standards that actively help to get more British food on the public plate, especially local fruit and veg in schools and hospitals – and we must make sure this is coming from nature-friendly farms like organic.
“The proposed planning reforms will also need to be aligned with broader sustainability goals. This means putting a stop to destructive forms of food production and preventing the construction of new intensive poultry units, such as those that are destroying UK river ecosystems.
"The Government’s forthcoming food and farming strategies need to be bold and they need to be aligned, so they can drive the kind of farming we need to protect climate and nature by creating better markets for healthy and sustainable food, and putting a stop to harmful practices.”
Love British Food Hospitals and Care Catering Working Group
All hospital caterers are invited to engage with this working group, which organises farm visits and educational talks to help hospitals to make British produce the first choice on menus. The emphasis is on sharing expertise and advice, inspiring caterers to build relationships with British suppliers.
Protests
The Secretary of State made his speech as farmers blocked Oxford High Street with their tractors, continuing to protest about the introduction of inheritance tax on farms.
