The chance to make a fresh start, review policies and rethink the future only comes around once every four years, when the British public votes for who it wants to take the nation forward and make decisions that will impact on a wide range of industries across the UK. This year is more interesting than most, given that Labour is gunning for its elusive fourth term in power following a difficult 18 months, characterised by everything from one of the most deep-cut recessions to ever hit the country to the confidence crisis wreaked by the expenses scandal.
The latest YouGov poll puts the Conservatives in pole position, with 40 per cent of the vote, Labour at 31 per cent and the Liberal Democrats at 18 per cent.
But what would a change at the top mean for UK food and farming? There has been a notable shift in the government’s focus since the publication of the Food Matters report in 2008, with the introduction of initiatives such as Change4Life and the formation of the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force, spearheaded by DEFRA secretary of state Hilary Benn.
However, the government can influence everything from the use of labour and wages to regulation and taxes, so it is essential that all eyes are on policies and pledges as the announcement of the deciding date gets closer.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has just updated its manifesto ready for the general election and the tweaked version will be released next month. NFU senior parliamentary advisor Matt Ware tells FPJ that this year’s version is more proactive than it has been in the past, focusing on seven key areas that affect the agricultural and horticultural sectors. “The manifesto covers a mixture of low-hanging, more accessible policies and larger-scale issues such as investment in research and development,” he explains. “These include things like making sure money paid by UK growers as part of the Climate Change Levy is invested back into research for the sector and is ringfenced by the Carbon Trust, rather than just put into the pot. Another is making sure the Agricultural Wages Board is scrapped, which would save both the government and businesses money…
“The UK has a natural competitive advantage in many respects, but we have to make sure we get a level playing field.”
Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) chief executive Nigel Jenney insists that the first policies he would like to see implemented would centre around the removal of unnecessary regulatory burdens on the industry. “Any future government must recognise the cumulative impact of regulation on the economy, the need to influence policy-makers in the EU and to have early engagement with the food industry on issues,” he says. “This strategy must be adopted across the government.”
The task in hand
A change in government could see a question mark hang over the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force set up last year to support home production and boost the consumption of fruit and vegetables. The 20-strong working group stretches across the supply chain to include growers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers and researchers, with the aim of developing an action plan to increase both the production and consumption of fruit and vegetables. The task force includes Jenney, as well as British Retail Consortium food policy director Andrew Opie, Tesco UK produce director Alex Dower and KG Growers chairman Marion Regain, among others.
Benn told FPJ at the time: “I have set up the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force because I want to get more people eating more fresh produce, especially British produce - and hand in hand with this, I want growers to produce more British produce. The idea for the working group came out of a recommendation from the Council of Food Policy Advisors and we will be bringing together a range of interested people, from growers to retailers.”
Since then, the task force has been split into three sub-groups, dedicated to production, the supply chain and consumption.
“All the main parties have identified the need to increase UK production of indigenous produce and to increase consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables,” says Jenney. “The task force was set up to deliver practical improvements and not to be a talking shop. We believe that the work must be influential in driving the future direction of a policy for the future government.”
Cracking the code
Calls for a supermarket ombudsman and a reviewed code of practice have been heard across the industry since the Competition Commission wound up its two-year grocery market inquiry two years ago.
However, the formation of such a body is yet to be formalised and the issue is up for discussion in the lead-up to the general election.
This month, shadow environment secretary Nick Herbert pledged that a Conservative government would create a supermarket ombudsman to curb abuses of power.
But the move was criticised by Liberal Democrat food and rural affairs spokesman Roger Williams, who claimed the party had failed to back calls for an independent ombudsman back when the original recommendation was made. He said at the time: “It is all very well the Tories coming up with this proposal now, just a few months before a general election, to try to curry favour with farmers. But they failed to support the Liberal Democrats in parliament when we called for the creation of a supermarket regulator two years ago… I’m worried that this change is just a belated and half-baked attempt to buy off farmers in the run-up to a general election.”
NFU chief horticultural adviser Phil Hudson singles out the creation of a supermarket ombudsman as the first policy that should be introduced because it would have “substantial and very positive benefits to the industry, and is something we have wanted for a number of years”.
Consumption conundrum
The bid to boost consumption and encourage consumers to reach their recommended 5 A DAY has made some inroads in the battle to improve the diet of the nation, but the average Brit still eats just 2.5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
In fact, the problem of childhood obesity in particular has long been held up as an issue that needs to be addressed urgently and the fresh produce sector is well positioned to support this mission.
Jenney singles out the fact that nearly one in three 10- to 11-year-olds in the UK is overweight as a call to action and one that can be tackled with an “ambitious programme” by the future governing party. As a start, the FPC has been lobbying the government to expand the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which has proven that it can increase consumption of fresh produce and establish healthy eating habits among young children. However, the trade body is pushing for more emphasis on the healthy eating message across the board.
“We urge each of the parties to recognise the importance of a healthy diet, including fresh fruit and vegetables,” says Jenney. “While the department of health has achieved significant consumer awareness of the 5 A DAY campaign, this has not translated into widespread adoption of a healthy diet and greater consumption of fresh produce. The FPC wants to see each of the parties commit to a greater focus on key consumer groups in the 5 A DAY action plan because on average, consumers are eating just 2.5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
“But government departments can make a far greater impact to combat poor diets and rising obesity levels simply by having a cohesive policy for public sector food procurement that encourages greater consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables, regardless of their origin, and in line with DEFRA’s own definition of ‘locally in season’, which includes imported produce.”
Hudson insists that allied to the challenge of increasing consumption, any future government must focus on research and development and significantly increase spend to secure the long-term viability of the sector.
THE CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINT
Shadow agriculture minister Jim Paice tells FPJ what the Conservatives have up their sleeves
If the Conservatives won the next general election, what would be the first policy they would implement to help UK growers, the fresh produce supply chain or the grocery market?
We have a series of policies that we will want to introduce at the earliest opportunity to help takegrowers closer to the market and cut their costs of production. Action on the enormous regulatory burden, food labelling, public procurement and research and development are all priorities. What binds this together is our fundamental commitment to the British farming industry and the value we place in domestic food production.
Name three of your policies that will benefit UK food and farming.
Three policies that will contribute to a more competitive fruit and vegetable sector are a major review of existing regulatory burdens, a move towards much greater use of the £2 billion public sector food budget on home-grown produce and a stronger focus on R&D, which is currently the subject of a Conservative review led by Lord Taylor of Holbeach.
Have you got any plans for Hilary Benn’s task force?
The idea of asking the industry for ideas is admirable and we have no plans to abolish the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force. The group may well come up with some very useful ideas, which we will study carefully.
Will you address the sustainability of UK production?
Unlike the current government, the Conservatives have always believed that domestic production is necessary for our food security. We will back British agriculture to the hilt, but that doesn’t mean retreating to protectionism or turning the clock back to the days of damaging intensification.
How will you tackle the decline of UK R&D?
When R&D is so fundamental to the immense challenge of increasing food production while conserving our natural resources, it is critical that we get the most from our world-class science base. This requires the government to do everything it can to help our scientists maximise their contribution to strengthening food security, both here and across the world, by equipping farmers with the tools necessary to produce more and impact less. Smart solutions must be found to more effectively translate research into practical use at farm level, so that yields and quality in all sectors improve and resources are used more efficiently. But in an era in which the government must do more from less, we also need to ensure the most effective use of existing resources, as well as looking at potential new revenue streams for research.
DEFRA OUTLINES ITS PRODUCE POLICIES FOR 2010
DEFRA minister Jim Fitzpatrick tells FPJ about Labour’s plans ahead of the general election
If Labour wins the next general election, what would be the first policy they would implement to help UK growers, the fresh produce supply chain or the UK grocery market?
I know the pressures that growers in the horticulture sector are under. That’s why I think it’s really important that the new code of practice has just come into force and we are consulting on exactly what form an ombudsman would take to independently enforce that code.
Name three of your policies that will benefit UK food and farming.
Making sure that research gets the funding it needs. We have already funded up to £7 million of research and development last year on horticultural crops, including the support for HortLINK, which is all about working in partnership with our country’s growers. And the Technology Strategy Board’s new innovation programme on agri-food is a great opportunity for the industry - £80m over the next five years to encourage innovation, including up to £30m from DEFRA for joint funding with industry. The first call has already been launched on the issue of crop protection.
We want people to eat more fruit and vegetables - it’s good for them and their health, and it will help our industry too. That’s why the 5 A DAY campaign and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme are so important.
The Labour government has backed the Competition Commission’s support for a supermarket ombudsman. We are now consulting with people on the best way to implement this, but we think it is essential that there is someone who can help strike the balance between getting a fair deal for growers and giving consumers the high-quality, affordable British food they want.
What policiescould the fresh produce industry expect from a Labour government?
I believe we can only increase production and develop all the things that are needed to do that - better skills, more resilient businesses and stronger supply relationships, for example - if we work together. The Campaign for the Farmed Environment is important in making the environmental improvements we want. We have to make the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force work. And it’s why we will continue to campaign to make sure the government buys more local food.
Where do you see UK food and farming in five years’ time?
In five years’ time, we expect to see higher production with good supply chain relationships that foster innovation. We want a profitable sector that is resilient to shocks. I know that farmers and growers, like the rest of the economy, will be grappling with how to reduce their emissions and the government will be helping them to do this. And at the end of it all, I want high-quality food appearing on our plates at a fair price to suppliers and consumers. I’m proud to be minister for farming and of what the industry has done and can do. I will do what I can to assist it to continue to be successful.
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