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New NFU report urges government to back British food at home and abroad - National Farmers Union (NFU)
We're calling for a commitment from government that Britain’s food production will not slip below its current level of 60% self-sufficiency. We also want to see greater ambition in promoting British food at home and abroad to help with food security.
Our new report - British Food: Leading The Way
NFU President Minette Batters will officially launch our new British Food: Leading The Way report at our Back British Farming Day event in Westminster. She will outline how we're asking the government to complete a comprehensive report on UK food security later this year, covering the country’s production of key foods and its contribution to global food security. This would be the first meaningful assessment of UK food security in over a decade and the first under the requirements of the Agriculture Act that mandate reporting every three years.
Our report also showcases how the UK can reduce its reliance on food imports by harnessing the growth opportunities for different home-grown foods and increasing British sourcing in public procurement. This should be coupled with ambitious food and trade strategies that will help British farmers provide more quality, affordable and climate-friendly food for people at home and abroad.
Other key asks that we're outlining in our report include:
- Extending Defra’s ministerial portfolio to include food security and agri-food trade and competitiveness.
- UK-produced food to be put at the heart of public procurement policy with assurances that the public sector does not provide a back door to food imports not produced to UK production standards.
- An ambitious marketing strategy for British food exports which includes agricultural counsellors in key potential markets across the world and UK government-backed promotion of ‘Brand Britain’.
- A supportive approach that enables new technology and innovation to be embraced by farmers, ensuring international competitiveness and climate-friendly food production.
- Domestic policies – and the associated investment needed – that ensure farmers can continue to be producers of world-leading food while delivering for the environment, the economy and net zero.