I’m fed up with talking about the weather, but I can console myself with the fact we have grabbed every opportunity so far and progress is not too bad.What is the Government's food strategy?
AS Hilary Benn takes to the stage at the Oxford Farming conference to unveil the Government’s highly anticipated food strategy, we take a look at the blueprint for future policy and what it entails.
The strategy sets out key goals for 2030 and changes that need to be made to reach those goals, including:
- An innovative, profitable, competitive, skilled and resilient food sector, supported by first class research and development, with sustainable supply chains and improved resource efficiency.
- Informed consumers able to choose and afford healthy, sustainable food, supported by better labelling and information, improved skills, and easier ways to buy healthy food.
- Food produced efficiently, sustainably and safely to high standards of animal welfare, with food production supporting thriving rural communities and contributing to global food security.
- Farmers and fishermen continuing to produce more with fewer resources and less environmental impact, who invest in a skilled workforce and adapt to climate change.
- Government action in developing partnerships, funding research, regulating where necessary and cutting red tape where possible, leading by example through public food procurement, and campaigning for change in Europe and globally.
Challenges
The strategy outlines six key challenges for the Government and the food chain, many of which are of significance for farmers.
1) Encouraging people to eat a healthy sustainable diet
- A Healthy Food Code of Practice covering issues like clearer information on food packaging, smaller portions sold and reduced sat fats and sugar in foods.
- Making land available for community food growing and using brokers to match land-holders with those wanting land to grow food.
- Additional funding for the “Growing Schools Programme” so pupils, staff, and parents gain hands-on experience of growing food.
2) Ensuring a resilient, profitable, and competitive food system
- A reduced regulatory burden for the farming and food sectors, with voluntary agreements in place of regulation where possible.
- Preparing the national infrastructure to withstand potential shocks
- Unambiguous country of origin labelling.
- Better use of assurance schemes to recognise food produced to higher environmental and welfare standards
3) Increasing food production sustainably
- Investment in R&D for sustainable food production.
- An action plan for improving skills in agriculture.
- Improving supply chain relationships, competitiveness, and responsiveness to markets.
- Continue to develop Government-industry groups like Fruit & Veg Task Force, Pig Task Force, Dairy Supply Chain Forum.
- Build up Environmental Stewardship membership and promote initiatives like Campaign for the Farmed Environment, Soils Strategy, Future Water, Water Framework Directive.
- Implementing improved controls for sustainable fishing.
- Ensure that bio fuels / bio energy production does not compromise food security.
4) Reducing the food system’s greenhouse gas emissions
- Government to encourage and support activities that reduce emissions in the supply chain.
- Improved livestock management and more efficient fertiliser use by farmers to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions per unit output.
- Better slurry management, including anaerobic digestion, reduces methane and nitrous oxide emissions.
- The goal is to make a 3 million tonne saving in agricultural emissions in England by 2020. *
5) Reducing, reusing, and reprocessing waste
- Increased doorstep collection of food waste and development infrastructure to process food waste to divert it from landfill.
- Smaller portion sizes and clear, unambiguous date labelling, storage, and usage guidance to help consumers reduce food waste.
- Increased use of anaerobic digestion to reduce waste from farming.
6) Increasing the impact of skills, knowledge, research, and technology
- New research programme on food security.
- £90m over five years via the Technology Strategy Board (co-funded by Defra and BBSRC) for R&D for increased and more sustainable food production.
- £400m investment over five years to provide technology for farmers in developing countries.
- New BBSRC Advanced Training Partnership scheme to improve food sector skills.
Follow us at the OFC
We will be keeping you updated throughout the Oxford Farming Conference both here at www.farmersguardian.com as well as on our Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/farmersguardian.
Share