Defra's food strategy receives mixed industry reaction

Yesterday (Monday, August 10), Defra unveiled its strategy to help meet those targets while impacting less on the environment. 

The use of GM technology, changing consumer diets and reducing Britain’s reliance on food imports were three solutions mentioned by Mr Benn.

He said: “We need a radical rethink of how we produce and consume our food. We need everyone in the food system to get involved – from farmers and retailers to the health service, schools and consumers.

“Our food strategy will need to cover all aspects of our food – production, processing, distribution, retail, consumption and disposal. And that includes the impact on our health, on the environment and future productivity, on how we deal with food waste.”

Here, some of the industry’s top brass make their comments on Mr Benn’s assessment.

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher:

“The biggest deception is that, while talking sympathetically about the need for more UK-produced food, they (Defra) hold fast to their core strategy which will do the opposite. 

“The Government knows their own indicator of farm income –Total Income From Farming - shows that without the direct support payments of the Common Agricultural Policy, farm incomes, in real terms, were negative in seven of the last eleven years.

“But Defra’s policy, encouraged by The Treasury, is to eliminate, as far as possible, direct payments under the CAP between now and 2020.”

Fresh Produce Consortium chief executive Nigel Jenney:

“There is a significant opportunity for UK growers to increase the sustainable production of indigenous crops which are suited to our climate. 

“We believe that Defra should help provide a focus for the industry to evaluate the potential for increasing these crops and ensure that the sector has the necessary tools to maximise this potential.”

Bidwells Agribusiness head of research Carl Atkin:

“We should not use the food security argument as a reason for ‘propping up’ unviable sectors of UK and EU agriculture such as some livestock systems which have historically been heavily dependent on headage payments. 

“A return to the protectionist mentalities of the CAP in the 1960s and 1970s could increase food costs without necessarily improving farmers’ incomes and cause sectors to stagnate if they were artificially insulated from market forces.”

Dairy UK director general Jim Begg:

“Dairy is central to a healthy balanced diet, which means that it is at the core of food security for the UK. By working in partnership with Government and the supply chain, the industry can put itself in a strong position to meet the challenges of delivering a sustainable food system in the future and we are confident we can meet this challenge.”

NFU president Peter Kendall:

“We urge Ministers to push for progress in areas that are important to agriculture including the improvement of the co-ordination of food research, understanding the GM issues in the animal feed market and their impact on the pig and poultry sectors, and delivering the grocery market ombudsman.

“While Defra’s food security assessment shows the UK is food secure today, the on-going challenge will be to maintain and improve that position. The role of domestic food producers in helping to deliver that security cannot be underestimated and we are pleased to see recognition of the need to create the conditions for a competitive, sustainable domestic production to thrive.”

British Retail Consortium food policy director Andrew Opie:

“Food policy has to take customers with it. Without their buy-in no plan will work. We do need a sustainable supply chain but retailers don’t need Government statements to wake them up to these issues – they are already taking action.

“Their track record in areas such as  animal welfare and nutritional labelling, carbon reduction, offering customers healthy affordable food and  working with producers on securing supplies and improving the efficiency of all parts of the chain – shows retailers have long been at the forefront of this agenda.”

Shadow Environment Secretary Nick Herbert:

“It should be a strategic priority of government to increase self-sufficiency in food, yet the Government are refusing to take the steps to make this happen. 

“They have increased the regulatory burden on British farmers; government departments continue to ignore British producers and procure foreign food, and Ministers refuse to introduce honest food labelling to benefit consumers and help support our domestic production.”

Friends of the Earth’s senior food campaigner Clare Oxborrow:

“Ministers are still fixated on genetic modification but this isn’t a solution - GM crops do not have higher yields and the mythical drought and salt resistant crops still exist only as expensive PR promises rather than commercial reality.

“Although it has recognised the need to cut carbon emissions from the food industry, the Government has neglected to set out plans for the most damaging sector - meat and dairy - which creates more climate-changing emissions than the world’s transport.”

Agricultural Biotechnology Council chairman Dr Julian Little:

“Agricultural biotechnology, particularly the use of GM, cannot alone solve these massive challenges, but it can be a significant part of the solution, through the development of higher and more reliable crop yields and mitigation of major threats to crop production such as damaging effects of pests, diseases and drought.

“ABC welcomes the Government’s recognition of the potential GM could offer and looks forward to the day when UK farmers and consumers can also benefit from this technology.”

Soil Association policy advisor Helen Browning:

“Food systems must become less dependent on fossil fuels, more resilient in the face of climate change, and able to contribute to the Government’s pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Farming based on organic principles can deliver against all three challenges.”

Food Ethics Council executive director Dr Tom MacMillan:

“The biggest challenge is to see the wood for the trees. That means recognising the roots of food insecurity stretch way outside the food sector, which raises the question of whether Defra has enough clout across government to do what’s required.

“For instance, a big factor in food insecurity is income inequality, and you can’t crack that by fiddling about with food prices. It calls for better social protection in the UK and internationally.

“Another big question mark is over climate change. To achieve its aims, the department needs a stronger mandate from the government.”

Cumbriabeef and sheep farmer, John Geldard:

“During the last 10 years, a decline in UK agricultural production has not only weakened our food production capacity but also put increasing pressure on stretched global markets. The dairy herd has almost halved to the lowest size in 40 years, the pig herd has fallen by 40 per cent and the sheep flock by more than a quarter. Moreover, these livestock sectors have declined at such an alarming rate that they have already lost their critical mass in certain regions. All evidence indicates the trend is continuing.”

“The UK food production trend is reversible. I believe that we have the ability to produce more food and with reduced environmental impact. UK farmers have an immense propensity to adapt to new challenges and they are also willing to invest in their businesses, however they need reassurance that this issue of food security will be taken seriously by a future government.”

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