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TL;DR – THE FOOD STRATEGY WHITE PAPER

The first-ever Government Food Strategy White Paper was published this week. The report is a response to an independent review of our food system which was carried out in 2018 by Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of restaurant chain Leon and a non-executive director of Defra, and it sets out Number 10’s strategy for “creating a more prosperous agri-food sector that delivers healthier, more sustainable and affordable diets for all.”

This week I read it, so you don’t have to! The highlights are below:

PROTECTING THE WORKFORCE

The food industry has a central role to play in the government’s levelling up agenda. In fact, it is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, bigger than automotive and aerospace combined. UK agri-food and seafood sectors create over £120 billion of value for the economy every year and employ over 4 million people.

Key objectives of the strategy include the introduction of skilled training for those in agri-food industry to ensure a sufficient and well-paid workforce in the future. In the shorter term, the Government will release an additional provision of 10,000 visas under the Seasonal Worker Visa Route, including 2,000 for the poultry sector. This means that in total 40,000 visas will be made available for seasonal workers in 2022, providing labour for food businesses across the UK.

GREEN TARGETS

There is a commitment to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, including a target to increase woodland creation rates and improve soil health, as well as a specific long-term plan on CO2 in 2022 and a focus on pioneering more organic-based fertilisers to ensure continued certainty and availability for all inputs which underpin food production. There will also be significant investment into seafood as a potentially lower-carbon, healthy source of protein which can grow sustainably to fulfil its potential within the food sector.

There is also a proposal to develop a mandatory methodology which must be used by those who want to produce eco labels or make claims about the sustainability of their products, driving transparency and integrity in the food system by preventing ‘green washing’ claims and improving environmental information for consumers.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

The UK is largely self-sufficient in wheat, most meats, eggs, and some sectors of vegetable production. Sectors like soft fruit have seen a trend towards greater self-sufficiency in recent years with an extended UK season displacing imports. Overall, for the foods that we can produce in the UK, we produce around 75% of what we consume. That has been broadly stable for the past 20 years and in the new strategy commits to keeping it at broadly the same level in future.

The Government have committed to spending over £270 million through their Farming Innovation Programme and are supporting £120 million investment in research across the food system. A new generation of sustainable commercial horticulture will be promoted in order to make UK producers more competitive. This includes an increase in industrial horticulture, which encompasses highly productive, high tech, controlled environment growing operations including multi-acre glasshouses and vertical farms.

TACKLING HEALTH

Interestingly, the report cites an exponential growth in the takeaway sector during the recent pandemic as one of the key barriers to prioritising health as online aggregators and delivery companies providing easier access for all population demographics to typically more calorie-dense food. However there is an acknowledgment that “choosing the healthier option is often much more challenging, with the range of healthier choices often declining the poorer you are with additional barriers such as convenience and access hindering those on lower incomes from consuming a healthier diet.”

The Government have also set a target to halve childhood obesity by 2030 by increasing the proportion of healthier food sold. This includes introduction of measures to improve school food and build a strong food curriculum, including up to £5 million to deliver a school cooking revolution and a new pilot for local authorities to assure compliance with school food standards.

FOOD STANDARDS

There is a lot of talk of “removing bureaucracy” which stems from EU rules throughout the report. Regulations will be reviewed, including a move away from the EU framework of ‘standard’ check levels, with border checks will be used only when necessary to protect biosecurity. There are also plans to create a new simpler regulatory regime to allow researchers and breeders to unlock the benefits of technologies such as gene editing. The Government will work alongside the Food Standards Agency to develop dedicated guidance materials for the approval of new alternative protein products. There will also be reform when it comes to EU regulations on wine, and low & no alcohol products.

There will also be a revision to reporting requirements relating to the production and sale of food and drink, including a consultation around implementing mandatory public reporting against a set of health metrics, in addition to sustainability and animal welfare. These requirements will initially be targeted at large companies across retail, manufacturing, out of home, food to go and online delivery businesses.

REDUCING WASTE

The UK is committed to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal to halve global food waste by 2030. The Government have committed to consulting on improved food waste reporting for large food businesses and will continue to work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to help households waste less food. The Environment Act will also introduce a requirement for all local authorities in England to arrange for the separate collection of food waste for recycling or composting. This includes free weekly separate food waste collections for all households from 2025.

SUPPORTING SME’S

The Government are committing to a goal of £1 trillion of exports annually by 2030 by supporting more UK food and drink businesses (particularly small and medium-sized enterprises) to take advantage of new market access and free trade agreements post-Brexit. There is a commitment to help businesses access new markets in order to increase our global competitiveness, with the example given of India, where there is high demand for whisky, salmon, and cheese. The Government will also be appointing 10 agri-food attachés across the world to support UK food and drink exporters to break into and flourish in key growth markets.

“We recognise that SMEs often require more tailored support to take up new innovations and growth opportunities. We will continue to offer specialised regional support and engagement with food and drink SMEs, building on the success of the Regional Food and Drink Summit earlier this year.”

Thinking about the future of your own food business? Why not get in touch…

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