As Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minster today, the NFU has written to remind him of the essential role farmers and growers play in feeding the nation’s 70 million people.
In the letter the NFU acknowledged the emphasis he recently gave to protecting the UK’s sovereign manufacturing and production capabilities in critical sectors, including food and farming.
It also urged the Prime Minister to prioritise the food supply chain’s five-point resilience plan¹ as he further develops his agenda for government.
The food sector’s roadmap gives the government clear actions to strengthen the UK’s food resilience, unlock investment, jobs and growth in every part of the country and ease the pressure on households.
“As he takes office, Prime Minister Burnham has an opportunity to turn Labour’s commitment in its manifesto that ‘food security is national security’ into meaningful action.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Food security must not be overlooked
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “British farmers and growers are the bedrock of the nation’s food security, putting food on the plates of 28 million households every day. Yet while governments rightly treat defence and energy security as national priorities, food security has too often been overlooked.
“As he takes office, Prime Minister Burnham has an opportunity to turn Labour’s commitment in its manifesto that ‘food security is national security’ into meaningful action. With the right policy framework, farmers and growers can drive growth in every constituency, strengthen the UK’s resilience and help ease pressure on households.
“As he further develops his plan for government, Prime Minister Burnham can take immediate action by backing a planning system that unlocks investment, regulation that drives innovation and growth and ensuring there’s the workforce available farming and growing businesses need to thrive. Together, these measures would help build a more resilient food system and we stand ready to work with the government to deliver them.”
