Launched by the NFU in the wake of the horsemeat scandal and in response to figures that show the UK is only 62 per cent self-sufficient, the charter is already attracting high profile and influential backers including organisations like the WI, celebrity chefs such as James Martin, retailers including Waitrose and MPs.
York Outer MP Julian Sturdy is among those MPs to have signed the charter, saying: “With farming at the heart of Yorkshire’s rural economy, and underpinning Yorkshire’s tourism and food and drink industries, it is vital we have a thriving farming sector that can deliver the quality local food that people want, not to mention the landscapes and environment for which our county is famous.
“We know it has been a tough year for our farmers this year so I am delighted to get behind the Back British Farming charter. Government has a role to play in providing the right framework for the farming industry to thrive, allowing them to focus on the challenge of producing more food while still delivering on the environment. I for one certainly pledge to do all I can to ensure this happens.”
Now residents and visitors to York will have the chance to sign it as part of the food festival, with the NFU’s Let’s Talk Farming Roadshow in the city centre, outside Browns, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
“Starkly, our current self-sufficiency rate means that today, August 14, is the day when British food supplies would run out if all the food produced in Britain in a year was stored and eaten from January 1,” said NFU regional director Richard Pearson.
“We know the public wants access to more home-produced food and our farmers are up for the challenge of producing it. This charter is designed to articulate that desire and demonstrate the support for British farmers.”
As well as taking the charter round the country, the NFU Roadshow is a one-stop-shop for facts and figures, recipes, and general information on food and farming. While in York it will also give people the chance to see lambs, calves and chicks, try their hand at milking Annabelle the model cow, or enjoy a lively presentation by Roadshow host, Lancashire farmer Johnny Ball.
Recipe books, children’s activity books and other giveaways are also on offer throughout the week and the Roadshow will welcome a number of school parties while in the city.