Consumer expectation for cheap, readily available food has driven the market too low, damaging farmers and the environment, according to Waitrose managing director Mark Price.
Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union conference this week, Price said: “Food is seen as a disposable, cheap commodity that does not merit more than passing consideration - it’s neither. It is the product of investors’ money, experience and expertise. With our farm we share some of the problems you do.
“We believe we have a responsibility and duty to show the value of what [consumers] see on their plates. This is not to say that some families are not suffering [from the recession] very badly. They are. Food now makes up a smaller proportion of family spending than ever before.
“Other businesses are being more aggressive and not sticking to pricing policies. Not all retailers want to take this holistic approach.”
Price expressed concerns over the pricing policies of Waitrose’s competitors and offered public backing to celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Heston Blumenthal, in an attack on Asda chief executive Andy Bond’s recent comments in The Grocer.
Price said: “His criticism centred on a belief that asking consumers to pay a little more for high-quality, ethically reared meat is out of step with public mood.”
The Waitrose chief also announced that he has been made chair of the Prince of Wales's Rural Action Programme. Price hopes his new role will help him support farming families in poverty, some of whom are living on as little as £6,000 per year on average on smaller farms.
“In my view, labels such as local are very marketable, but we need this money to go to those hard-up families,” he told delegates. “Local loyalty has disappeared, with post offices and farming communities dwindling.”
Price also backed supplier unity in boosting the prospects of the UK food industry. He said: “Benchmarking suppliers against their peers has led to efficient, good business ensuring high-quality supply.
“We could be at the start of an agricultural renaissance,” added Price, finishing a bright speech by urging the assembled farmers to take pride in food sovereignty and re-discover land use to boost UK agriculture.
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