Tighter borders a key demand for new food strategy board

Tightening the UK’s borders to prevent imports of illegal meat must be a priority for the new Food Strategy Advisory Board, says the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (Aims), if it is to fulfil its aim of “maintaining food security by building resilience”.

The new board is set to meet for the first time on Wednesday (26 March) under the chairmanship of Defra farming minister Daniel Zeichner, pulling together 13 other individuals from across the food industry to advise on a national food strategy.

It has set out four key aims, as part of the government’s “plan for change”. These are to:

• Provide more easily accessible and affordable healthy food  
• Maintain food security by building resilience  
• Reduce the impact of farming and food production on nature, biodiversity and climate
• Ensure growth is at the heart of the strategy.

Mr Zeichner said: “Our cross-government food strategy will make sure our food system can continue to feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals, now and in the future.”

See also: Illegal meat seizures at Dover port surge 5,500%

But Aims head of marketing Tony Goodger says this could only be achieved if the government stepped up to secure the UK’s borders from substandard and illegal food imports.

“The threat this poses, not just to animal health and farmer wellbeing but to the viability of the UK’s meat and poultry sector, and our industry’s ability to drive domestic and overseas growth, continues to be shamefully underestimated and under-financed by government,” he said.

Challenges

The NFU has given a slightly warmer welcome to the Food Strategy Advisory Board, but says having the right policy framework for the farm businesses producing the raw materials is essential.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “Right now, the challenges facing primary producers are severe.

“Farmers and growers are grappling with inheritance tax bills that many will be unable to pay, uncertainty over environmental schemes, drastic cuts to direct payments, and rising National Insurance costs.

“Without profitable farming businesses, it will be difficult for the strategy to realise its goals.”

Farming under-represented 

Concerns have also been expressed by some industry stakeholders about the lack of farmer representation on the new advisory board.

Of the 14 members, there is just one farmer – Sam Godfrey, a former board member at the National Pig Association and a former NFU Sugar Board member.

Other board members include senior executives from a range of food processors, multiple retailers, government departments and academic institutions.

Commenting on the social media platform X, Suffolk arable and poultry farmer Jeremy Squirrell said the board was “as biased towards corporate desires as it could be – worse than the Red Tractor board”, while Lake District farmer James Rebanks described it as “a bunch of corporates representing the status quo”.