A number of Food Enterprise Zones (FEZs), designed to “unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of the countryside and food producers”, are to be set up.
The new zones will free up food and farming businesses, making it simpler and easier for them to grow, as well as attract new businesses, according to the government.
Defra said that local communities would benefit from new jobs and the opportunity to develop local produce, boosting their economies.
Grants of up to £50,000 will be available to set up FEZs, which will be based around Local Development Orders and should make the planning process simpler and easier for food and farming businesses that want to expand.
The first FEZs are proposed for Somerset, the South Downs, Cornwall, Cumbria, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, West Sussex, and three in Lincolnshire.
Environment secretary Liz Truss said: “Food Enterprise Zones will help unlock the potential of local food and farming businesses, boosting local economies and attracting more investment.
“Consumers both here and abroad want to buy Great British food. These zones will ensure we can grow more top-quality produce and expand our food industry, which is worth more than £100 billion a year to the UK economy – more than cars and aerospace combined.
“Food and farming is at the heart of our long-term economic plan and vital to securing Britain’s economic future.”
Defra believes that as well as attracting investment, FEZs will encourage closer ties between food and farming businesses to boost the domestic food and farming sector. Examples of how it could work include reusing redundant farm buildings and brownfield sites, or allowing more farm shops to be set up for direct sale to consumers.
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