Video: Trade and food security top concerns for Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats have passed a wide-ranging motion pledging better support for British farmers to produce food more sustainably, protect the environment and uphold their high standards in trade deals.

The Food and Farming policy paper motion, which includes proposals for a national food strategy, was passed at the party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth on Monday 25 September.

The 64-page paper includes proposals to increase the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme budget by £1bn, and more funding and support for the Agricultural Development Service (Adas) to ensure farmers are properly rewarded and supported to transition to environmentally sustainable farming.

See also: Hill farming advocate addresses Lib Dems conference

Watch the interview with Farmers Weekly‘s Philip Case and Stuart Roberts, chairman of the Liberal Democrats Food and Farming Working Group and read the rest of the report below.

On trade, the Lib Dems say there must be proper scrutiny of trade deals to ensure all food imports meet UK environmental, climate and animal welfare standards. The party would also seek to renegotiate the Australia and New Zealand trade deals for agriculture.

If it were in power, the party would also sign a veterinary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU as soon as possible, alongside mutual recognition and alignment on standards and quality “to allow farmers to trade with Europe easily”.

The Lib Dems say they would improve food security, insisting the current level of UK food self-sufficiency (58%) is too low.

Setting out the motion, Liberal Democrat farming spokesman Tim Farron accused the Conservatives of  “betraying” British farmers, arguing they had “let down farming and fishing communities, driving many to ruin”.

Stuart Roberts, chairman of the Lib Dems’ food and farming working group, said the policies in the paper “give real hope to many left behind communities”. He criticised the Conservatives for ditching plans for an English horticulture strategy.   

“We want to see the introduction not only of a national food strategy, but also a specific national horticulture strategy so that Britain can grow more and consume more of these vital foods,” he added.

Conservatives hit back

The Conservative Party released a statement hitting back at the criticism. It said the Lib Dems’ motion had failed to set out how the £1bn extra funding for ELM would be spent – and it had not identified which farming groups needed additional funding.

“This is just another uncosted announcement from the Liberal Democrats with no proper plan behind it,” said a Conservative spokesman.

“The Liberal Democrats are shouting from the sidelines while the Conservatives make the long-term decisions needed to deliver a brighter future.

“We are using our Brexit freedoms to target farm funding through our Environmental Land Management schemes, delivering targeted rural payments and giving farmers the sustainable, long-term support they need.”