Farming union leaders and supermarket bosses will meet the UK and Scottish government in Downing Street next week for a long-awaited Food Summit to address key issues affecting the sector.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak initially agreed to the meeting last summer and has committed to welcoming other officials to Number 10 on Tuesday May 16 for the ”Farm to Fork” summit.
NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy, has accepted his invite to the event and said the summit must be been seen as the start of long-term commitment to ensure greater fairness into supply chains.
“This summit must shine a spotlight on the nation’s food supply chain and give urgent consideration to the measures needed to ensure that the clear vulnerabilities in our food security are never again exposed to the extent that they are now,” said Mr Kennedy.
“This must be the start of a process that delivers long-term change in the way the government views the importance of a safe, sustainable, and affordable supply of home-produced food, with full recognition of the cost of its production, and that it acts to invigorate domestic production and reduce our reliance on imports.”
Mr Kennedy said the empty shelves in major retailers over the past 18 months come as a stark wake-up call to all parts of the food supply chain.
“Domestic supplies of food cannot be taken for granted and it is inherent on all, including government, that this issue is addressed,” he said.
“The nation’s consumers expect and deserve no less. Given the growing importance of food security this summit must be seen as the start of long-term commitment to review and address the shortfalls in our food security resilience.”
Minette Batters, NFU president, who will also be attending, said it is vital that the summit delivers actions, not just words, and is calling on the government to make it an annual event.
“We welcome Number 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,” said Ms Batters.
“This should mark a turning point in how previous governments have prioritised the safe and affordable supply of sustainably produced home-grown food.
“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 production and utilise powers under the Agriculture Act to make supply chains fairer.”
