NFU manifesto demands government targets for food production

The Westminster government needs to set specific targets for food production, much as it has already done for environmental protection and climate change mitigation, if it is to meet voter expectations at the next general election.

That is one of the key demands contained in the NFU’s latest pre-election manifesto, launched in London on Monday 11 December.

See also: Strong public backing for farm support spending, survey reveals

To bolster its call for food production targets, the NFU points to new research it commissioned showing public backing for the suggestion.

Conducted by More in Common in mid-October, and with more than 2,000 adults responding, the research found 82% believed it would be a good idea for the government to set targets to increase British food production.

Furthermore, 84% thought food production targets are at least as important, if not more so, than environmental targets for farming.

Two-thirds of respondents also said that individual parties’ plans on farming would be one of the issues that would affect who they would vote for at the next general election.

Value 

NFU president Minette Batters said: “All our research shows that the British people really value our farmers and growers for the work they do day in, day out to feed the nation.

“Their support has been vital during the turbulence of the past few years, with the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis and increasing periods of drought and flooding.

“Shoppers want to be able to go into a supermarket and have the option to buy quality, high-welfare, environmentally friendly food, and we know the availability and affordability of food is high on people’s minds.

“But with food production under increasing pressure – not least from record production costs and the biggest shake-up in agricultural policy since 1947 – we need policies in place that support British farming, with all Whitehall departments developing policy through the lens of food production.”

Mrs Batters said it was evident that this issue would affect who people vote for at the ballot box.

“We must not fall into the trap that we can simply import our food needs from other countries,” she added.

“We’ve seen that approach fail before with empty supermarket shelves, and we know there is strong public opinion against importing food from elsewhere produced in ways that would be illegal here.”

The NFU manifesto was launched in the near certainty that there will be a general election in the next 12 months – though exactly when is a matter of intense speculation.