NFU welcomes timely inquiry into securing food supplies

Productive agriculture must share the stage with the environment if the UK is to secure food production, according to NFU President Peter Kendall. This statement comes as the Efra Select Committee launches its inquiry into securing food supplies for the next 40 years.

Set against a context of growing world population, volatile food markets and a changing climate, the NFU congratulates the Efra committee on this extremely timely inquiry, which it believes should focus on the role that British agriculture can play in addressing domestic and international food needs.

“We have seen numerous reports into the challenges we face in feeding a growing population while mitigating our impact on the environment”, said Mr Kendall. “But the time has come for Government to look at the role British agriculture has to play in responding to domestic and world food needs, an aspect that has been hitherto largely overlooked.

“While public attention is rightly focused on the economy, we must remember that the challenges faced by the UK, and the rest of the world, in securing food supplies in the future are very real. It would be morally and economically wrong to allow British agriculture to shrink, as some people suggest. We must champion British farmers and growers to enable them to increase production in response to growing market demand but this requires a shift in government policy, to one where productive agriculture and the environment are placed side by side in Defra’s policy-making.”

However while trumpeting agriculture’s strengths, the NFU also believes there are current weaknesses within the supply chain which impact on its ability to deliver including:
• current abuse of power by major grocery retailers
• continued under-investment in primary research and development for agri-sciences leading to a lack of effective knowledge transfer
• labour availability and a growing skills gap.

Mr Kendall said: “I would echo calls I made more than a year ago for an ‘early warning system’ to monitor changes in agricultural production and undertake systematic investigation when production falls in a given sector.

“While I don’t believe that the answer to today’s questions will be found in championing self-sufficiency, protectionism or market-distorting subsidy I do believe that, despite the volatility that lies ahead in food markets, the market will remain the cornerstone of our success and I look forward to working with the committee to achieve secure food supplies for 2050 and beyond.”

Notes to editors:

1. A number of investigations have taken place or are underway including the COSU report ‘Food Matters’ and the Defra discussion paper of July 08. These have identified correctly many of the challenges in terms of growing world population, urbanisation, climate change, economic growth and falling productivity gains. The NFU welcomes the Efra Select Committee’s intention to look at how well the UK food system is equipped to play is part.

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