NFU responds to No.10 and Defra’s Food Summit

05 May 2023

NFU President Minette Batters

Following the news that No.10 and Defra will host a Food Summit in May NFU President Minette Batters said:

“We welcome No.10 and Defra delivering on the Prime Minister’s commitment he made to the NFU last year to host a Food Summit later this month. We are calling on government to make this an annual summit which would mark a turning point in how previous governments have prioritised the safe and affordable supply of sustainably produced home-grown food.

“The past 18 months have been a stark reminder of how vulnerable the nation’s food security is. It has been a wakeup call for the importance of a secure domestic supply of food, and it is vital that the summit delivers actions, not just words. A start would be a serious commitment from Government to maintaining Britain’s food production self-sufficiency level at 60%, with a statutory duty to report on domestic food levels and utilise powers under the Agriculture Act to make supply chains fairer.”