The Government has now published its response to Baroness Batters’ Farming Profitability Review and, while much of the attention will naturally focus on support for farmers, there are several areas that should be of particular interest to the meat processing sector.

One of the more encouraging themes is the recognition that improving profitability isn’t just about what happens on farm. The response acknowledges the need for better market intelligence across the whole supply chain and supports the recommendation to develop more comprehensive and accessible market data platforms. That has long been something industry has called for. However, Government sees this as a longer-term project, with industry expected to play the leading role, and has asked the Farming and Food Partnership Board to consider how to take it forward.

That immediately raises an obvious concern. The processing sector is currently not represented on the Farming and Food Partnership Board, despite processors being responsible for processing, marketing and exporting the vast majority of the UK’s meat production. If we are to develop a genuinely whole supply chain approach, it makes sense that those businesses that sit between farm and consumer have a seat at the table.

The Government also signals a welcome intention to improve the planning system to better support investment in modern food production infrastructure. It specifically recognises frustrations around environmental permitting, particularly in the pig and poultry sectors, and says it will work with industry through Sector Growth Plans to address barriers to investment. If this translates into a faster and more proportionate planning and permitting system, it could remove one of the persistent obstacles to expanding and modernising UK food production facilities.

Perhaps the most interesting longer-term recommendation comes right at the end of the response. Government agrees that the UK’s economic measures should better reflect the full value created by agriculture, recommending that the Office for National Statistics broaden its assessment to include both primary production and food processing. That is a significant acknowledgement that value creation doesn’t stop at the farm gate. Alongside this sits a commitment to give greater weight to natural capital within economic measurement. As that work develops, it will be important to ensure that food production, food processing and ultimately food security carry sufficient weight in any future calculations as well as environmental value.

Overall, the response contains more recognition than previous policy documents that farming profitability depends on the success of the entire food supply chain. The challenge now will be ensuring that processors are fully involved in shaping the work that follows. Without that, many of the ambitions set out in the response risk being much harder to deliver in practice.