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David Cameron: We trust our farmers, so let's buy their local food
IT is time for an honest debate about the culture of food in Britain. It has to be honest, because food matters in so many different ways.
From its cultivation to its transport, its purchasing to its consumption, food impacts upon our health, our environment, our rural communities and our economy. As a result, any change in our attitudes towards food has the potential for far-reaching consequences.
One cultural shift that I strongly support is buying locally-grown produce. That is why the Yorkshire Post's Clearly British campaign is so important. By helping people find local food, honest country of origin labelling can ensure a healthier lifestyle and help us meet our environmental goals by minimising transport distances. It can make our agriculture industry more sustainable, and increase our country's food security, by encouraging diversification. And it can help ensure high standards of animal welfare.
What's more, it can strengthen local economies by supporting farms, shops, markets and their employees. At the moment, farms in the North are in the greatest danger of disappearing. Since 2000, North Yorkshire alone has lost 361 dairy and 150 sheep farms, and seen 200 beef operations closed down. Anyone who cares deeply about the future of our country cannot afford to ignore this development.
There are some who argue that by championing their cause, we are flouting the principles of free trade and reverting to old-style protectionism. But it is precisely because of market forces and consumer demand that we should be advocating support for our farmers.
In the 21st century, people are less happy to eat second-rate food that neither is healthy nor tastes nice. What's more, they are increasingly anxious about the ethical standards to which produce has been farmed, and the amount of pesticides and antibiotics used in agriculture abroad.
On all these issues, British people instinctively trust British farmers: a poll in 2005 showed that 20 per cent of consumers would go out of their way to buy British food, with another two- thirds expressing an interest to find out more.
We should be responding to this impulse and pointing people in the direction of local food. The problem today is that current labelling laws are making informed choice almost impossible. Take "smoked" bacon, purchased in packaging that states "produced in the UK". Most people would think that it came from a British pig farm. But, under current legislation, it is possible that the bacon was imported from abroad, and only "smoked" in the UK. This is clearly misleading and unfair to both consumers and our pig farmers.
That this practice is widespread was highlighted by the recent bird flu outbreak at the Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk, where investigations showed that thousands of tonnes of poultry had been imported from Hungary, some of it sold in packaging stating "Norfolk Turkey Breast". Independent research has also shown that of 360 meat products tested, 81 per cent were not clearly labelled with their country of origin.
It does not have to be like this. The Conservative Party is committed to bridging people's desire to buy local food and their ability to find it. First, we will reform food labelling laws so that consumers are given clear information of where the major ingredients come from. Since 2000, there have been four attempts by Conservative MPs to introduce a country of origin Food Labelling Bill, and each time they were blocked by the Government on the grounds that they flout EU law.
But the role of a government that cares about British farming and informed consumer choice is not to sit on its hands and say, "There's nothing we can do"; instead, it should test these rules and, if necessary, challenge and change them.
Second, we will help ensure that local produce is more readily accessible to the consumer. This means addressing the planning and other regulations that can hold back farmers' markets. It also means encouraging local shops to stock local produce, as suggested in the Curry Report. If the market for local produce is to thrive, it is vital that the avenues of supply are as open as the strength of demand. At the moment, farmers can feel crowded out of the food market through weight of presence alone, and we need to do all we can to support them.
So the priorities for an incoming Conservative government are clear: legislating for rigour and transparency in food labelling, and encouraging the markets for local produce.
But, in the end, there is only so much government can do. What is needed is a cultural change that says as a society we should support local producers, insist on high standards and buy British. Social responsibility means everyone – farmers, entrepreneurs and individuals – has a part to play.
Farmers have a responsibility to rise to the demand for quality local produce. Here in Yorkshire, dairy farmers have seized the opportunities on offer and recently developed their own brands of milk.
Businesses have a responsibility to match that supply with the demand. For example, in Bedfordshire, Buy-Local.net is putting local producers and shoppers together and creating a market based on consumer demand. And in Leeds, Malmaison, a local hotel, has launched a home grown and local menu which is totally made up of food supplied from the surrounding area.
Finally, our social responsibility is also our personal responsibility. All of us as consumers have our responsibility to try to buy quality produce from British producers. This is part of larger cultural change in which we value the food we buy, the way in which we prepare a meal, and the time we take to enjoy it around family and friends.
In the 21st century, people are interested in general well-being. The food they eat and feed their families, the strength of their relationships and local communities and the environment they share and the beauty of their surroundings, are all a vital part of that. In more ways than one, buying local food can be the great sustainer.
David Cameron is leader of the Conservative Party.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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