Food chain sends united message to next prime minister

Farming and food industry leaders have urged candidates thinking of running to be the next prime minister to back reforms they say are essential to strengthen UK food security and support farmers.

The NFU, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and UK Hospitality have published a joint five-point plan (opens as PDF) calling for action to build a more resilient and affordable food system.

In an open letter, the organisations say government should focus on delivering better value for the public, improving UK-EU trading arrangements, reforming planning rules, securing access to workers, and encouraging investment.

See also: NFU leader urges government action on food security

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said action was needed to secure a resilient and affordable food system for the UK’s 70m consumers.

“To drive success, farmers and growers need to know they’ll have the workforce they rely on, regulation which supports efficiency and growth, and a planning system that drives investment in much-needed farm infrastructure such as poultry sheds, storage for valuable manures and reservoirs,” he said.

“These are all things that will build resilience in food production,” he added, saying such investment would help both “hard-pressed farmers and struggling consumers”.

“I urge the incoming prime minister and their team to get behind this plan and lead the charge.”

Economic contributions

The organisations said the UK’s food and drink sector contributes more than £153bn to the economy and supports more than four million jobs, equivalent to one in nine across the country.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said government should “remove some of the hurdles which hold back British farmers, including on costs, planning restrictions, and reducing friction in EU realignment”.

FDF chief executive Karen Betts said the sector should be “driving growth and creating new jobs in every postcode across the country”.

“But instead, many businesses are struggling with the cost of rising bills and complex regulation,” she said.

UK Hospitality chairman Kate Nicholls added hospitality businesses relied on “a sustainable and resilient food system to continue feeding the nation” and urged the next prime minister to back the sector by “reducing its tax burden, cutting red tape and enabling businesses from farm to fork to grow”.