Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made a commitment to the British fruit and vegetable sector with the launch of the first UK Food Security Index at the Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street.
This new framework will set out how the government will safeguard UK food security on an annual basis, while allowing the industry, farmers and crofters to monitor impacts of external factors on food production such as extreme weather.
The Prime Minister also used the event to pledge £80 million of support to the horticulture sector.
£80m support package to horticulture
While the event was attended by more than 100 UK food and farming representatives, including NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy, rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon, was not on the guest list.
Ms Gougeon said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for farmers and food producers and we have been stunned by the UK Government’s complete unwillingness to talk with us about the significant issues they are facing.
“We have written repeatedly to ask for meaningful engagement to look at solutions to labour shortages, long-term funding concerns and the impact of additional red tape caused by unilateral decisions taken on labelling – with deafening silence as a response.
“Despite these repeated requests, we were only made aware of the UK Government’s response to the UK Independent Review of Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain in England, within hours of its publication last week and it makes scant reference to UK migration policy.
Scottish Government receives ‘deafening silence’ from UK Government
“While we broadly welcome the extension to the Seasonal Visa Scheme, and stakeholders will likely be reassured by a level of certainty there, this was only ever meant to be a temporary fix.
“The problems with securing migrant labour in sensitive parts of the sector including seasonal and seafood processing still loom large as the domestic market has repeatedly been tested and found to be incapable of meeting demand.
“This summit is just another in a long list of opportunities squandered by the UK Government to champion the food and drink sector together.”
NFUS president Martin Kennedy in attendance
Mr Kennedy welcomed the new Food Security Index and said the impact of severe weather on farms and the long-running conflict in Ukraine has shown that food security needs to be higher up the agenda.
“Food security is something we have taken for granted for too long,” said Mr Kennedy.
“The new Food Security Index will hopefully allow the UK government and farming sector to prepare themselves for future barriers to sustainable and profitable food production.
“If we focus on our own food production industry, farmers and crofters will not only deliver for our consumers but we will continue to look after the environment and combat climate change.”
Mr Kennedy attended a breakout session on growing an innovative sector where gene editing, automation, research and development, net zero innovation, and artificial intelligence, were all discussed.
It remains unclear whether this will be implemented in all devolved nations.
“Speaking to representatives from the UK farming sector, UK farming union leaders and fellow MPs at Downing Street today, the Prime Minister committed to continue to invest in and support farmers to produce the best of British food to strengthen our food security, championing innovation in the sector,” added Mr Kennedy.
“We are in an election year, but that is a commitment that we would be looking to any future UK Government to uphold.”