Prince Charles's appeal came in the latest issue of Farmers' Weekly. 'Our public bodies buy enormous quantities of food,' he wrote in the magazine. 'Just imagine the amount of food purchased by our hospitals, armed forces, local government, schools and universities. What an impact it would make on the viability of the British farmer if each was to buy British and preferably buy local.' The prince rejects the view of government that a buy-British policy is likely to contravene European competition regulations, citing examples in France and Italy of schoolchildren being served food from local farmers.
The prince's proposition is bold considering it is more than half a century since the UK was a self-sufficient food producer.
Nevertheless, his views capture the sentiment of an apparently growing percentage of the UK population: farmers' markets launched just five years ago are now worth an estimated £166million to the rural economy, and supermarkets are also responding by flagging up local produce where possible.
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