What we want to see from politicians heading into the election

If we want food security for a growing UK population, we need a smoothly functioning domestic food supply chain. Government policy can help or hinder that and will form part of the next government’s legacy. 

One of our main priorities from the next government is to get some clarity, which has been in short supply recently. Whether it’s future food policy, land use framework, labour shortages or food security and sustainability, we’ve had several announcements and motherhood statements from politicians of all stripes, but precious little detail. This lack of clarity is hampering companies’ ability to forward-plan and make investment commitments.

At the root of this is a fundamental lack of understanding from policy makers of how the food supply chain works and the complex web of interdependent moving parts that make it run smoothly. This lack of understanding has been caused by government not working closely enough with industry. It has led directly to ill thought-through policy decisions, and it’s had serious unintended consequences that have cost businesses more in overheads, stoked food price inflation and impacted our ability to trade.

As an example the meat industry is currently struggling with new workforce legislation that is stifling our ability to fill skilled vacancies, and border controls that have added significant cost, making us less competitive on the world stage and hiking prices for UK shoppers.

The British meat industry asks that policy makers consult with the on-the-ground industry experts who can help identify impacts and opportunities. We’d also like to see the different government departments and civil servants work more closely together to ensure there are no detrimental, unintended consequences for the food supply chain of future policy decisions.