Ensuring food security is just as important to the future of the UK as energy supply, Hilary Benn, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs said today as he unveiled the government’s food strategy, Food 2030.

The Food Strategy sets out the challenges facing Great Britain in maintaining a secure food supply at a time of rapid population growth and climate change, and following the big price increases seen in 2008 following droughts and the rise in the price of oil. Benn said: “Food security is as important to this country’s future wellbeing - and the world’s - as energy security. We need to produce more food. We need to do it sustainably. And we need to make sure that what we eat safeguards our health. We know that the consequences of the way we produce and consume our food are unsustainable to our planet and to ourselves. There are challenges for everyone involved in the food system, from production right through to managing food waste. We know we are at one of those moments in our history where the future of our economy, our environment, and our society will be shaped by the choices we make now."

The minister said “people power” can help bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold, and that food businesses, including supermarkets and food manufacturers, would follow consumer demand for food that is local, healthy and has been produced with a smaller environmental footprint - just as consumers have pushed the rapid expansion of Fairtrade products and free-range eggs.

He also said that government and food businesses needed to support consumers by providing more accurate information about the origin and nutritional content of the food they buy.

The food strategy sets out goals for 2030, and the changes that need to be made to achieve them, including: farmers and growers producing efficiently, sustainably and safely to high standards, with food production supporting rural communities and contributing to UK and global food security; producing more with fewer resources and fewer carbon emissions, with investment in the right skills; an innovative, competitive, skilled and resilient food sector, supported by first-class scientific research and development, with sustainable supply chains; informed consumers able to choose and afford healthy food, supported by better labelling and information; and government support for partnerships, funding of research, regulating where necessary and cutting red tape where possible, leading by example through public food procurement, and campaigning for change in Europe and globally.

For more and reaction to this story from the trade, see this week’s FPJ.