Minette Batters
NFU PresidentMinette Batters writes an insightful piece on British farming for the Chamber Journal.
Farmers and growers are the lifeblood of our nation. British farming forms the bedrock of our rural communities and is responsible for growing the food we eat every day; food produced to some of the highest standards in the world. Farming has created our iconic landscapes, and the care and stewardship of British farmers means our environmental and social fabric has been protected and enhanced for generations.
With the British food and farming sector worth more than £100 billion to the national economy and supporting jobs for four million people, we must ensure our agricultural industry is truly valued. British farmers and growers must have the tools and the confidence needed to be resilient and adaptable, to drive productivity on farms alongside protecting the natural world. This is why we should back British farming by continuing to buy British at home and promote British produce overseas. This is even more important in the face of global volatility, which continues to threaten the stability of our food and energy security.
We do have a strong starting point. British food unites us all, regardless of where we live, what job we have, or what our political beliefs are. People rightly care about what food will be on the plates for their family, whether that’s at home or in a pub or restaurant, in their school or in a hospital. People care about animal welfare standards and about environmental protection, and they trust us to deliver.
I am immensely proud of the place we hold in the public’s heart and mind. A recent NFU survey revealed that farming as a job is ranked as one of the most important and well-respected occupations, second only to nursing. The survey also showed that 81 per cent of people agree that British farms should grow as much food as they can to provide national food security.
Home-grown
Our food security is something that has never been more acutely felt than over the past 18 months; a cost-of-living crisis and soaring production costs, global market instability caused by the war in Ukraine, along with bouts of extreme weather, have resulted in more empty supermarket shelves. Nothing more clearly demonstrates the need to be producing more of our food here.
British food production is already some of the most sustainable in the world – emissions from UK beef production are half that of the global average. British farmers are on the frontline in tackling arguably the greatest environmental challenge facing us all, climate change. But we can and want to do more and have set ourselves an ambition to reach net zero by 2040. There is an enormous opportunity for the UK to help lead the green recovery; by continuing to focus on the health of our soil, storing carbon in our pastures, and driving productivity to produce food in smarter ways that bring down our emissions. By using the latest commercial technology and embracing science and innovation, we can become even more productive and sustainable.
It’s all about leaving our farms in a better condition for the next generation. That’s why all farmers and growers care; we care because the environments we work in are our homes and, often, have been for generations. Huge amounts of work have been carried out through agri-environment schemes and industry-led initiatives to enhance our landscapes and provide access to the countryside, boost nature, create habitats for wildlife and benefit soil health and water quality.
Much of my job as President of the NFU is regularly meeting with politicians and for several years, I have led the calls for our national food security to be taken seriously. And we are getting there. We saw the first-ever Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street in May and a number of commitments – including reviews into fairness in the horticulture and egg supply chains, making it easier to build new glasshouses through changes to national planning policy, and protecting UK food standards under all existing and future free trade agreements.
Commitments are one thing; we now need action. Home-grown food production needs to be prioritised. So, while we have statutory targets for the environment, food needs to be given equal status. Government should legislate to ensure the UK’s self-sufficiency does not drop below its current level of 60 per cent. Our new domestic agriculture policy must be one that enables our farmers and growers to embrace accessible schemes that are fit for purpose and offer fair rewards and strong incentives for participation.
Buy British
Despite the changing and often challenging landscape, the best way of supporting our farmers and growers is to buy British. We have long called for a buy British button to be adopted by retailers on their websites and Dr Luke Evans, MP for Bosworth, has given this campaign a big push by sending a letter to supermarket chief executives calling for a tab that collates produce from British farmers and growers. We know from our own independent survey that 86 per cent of the public want to buy more British food, but it is often tricky to determine which products are produced in the UK. This simple change would help shoppers do that. This is now gaining traction with MPs across Parliament and encouragingly, Defra has also announced its support.
We are working hard to ensure that Britain’s hospitality sector, which has also faced great challenges over the past 18 months, is sourcing more British products. Regular conversations are taking place with some of the big pub, restaurant, and hotel chains to create more opportunities for them to serve up local food that is safe and fully traceable, providing the provenance the public increasingly wants and appreciates.
Fundamentally, investing in domestic food production means we can increase our productivity, delivering much more for the economy and environment.
British farming can and wants to be at the forefront of the vision for global Britain. Whether it’s helping to put more British food on our plates, exporting more of our highly desirable food abroad, protecting and enhancing the iconic British countryside, or playing our part to tackle climate change. It’s time to put British food first and back British farming like never before.