The new coalition government must create a greener, fairer, healthier and less wasteful food chain, says Helen Rimmer
Food and farming was a notable omission from the policy pledges by the coalition government last week, despite the fact urgent action is needed to fix the food chain.
The food industry has an enormous carbon footprint, accounting for about a third of the greenhouse gas emissions the average Briton is responsible for. It also has a considerable impact on wildlife and habitats, especially abroad. Meanwhile, obesity and diet-related diseases are estimated to cost the economy £10bn a year and this is set to soar.
Clearly our food system is no longer sustainable for people or the planet and must be an urgent priority for the new administration. Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to focus on five key areas, firstly, a supermarket ombudsman. Two years ago the Competition Commission recommended an independent supermarket ombudsman. Establishing a powerful independent regulator as pledged in the Lib Dem manifesto would deliver an instant win for farmers, small businesses and create a fairer food system, while a recent YouGov poll found that eight out of 10 shoppers backed its creation.
Secondly, we want to see a sustainable meat and dairy law, needed to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation caused by the UK's dependence on imported animal feeds. An area the size of Devon and Cornwall is currently required to provide UK factory farms with protein feed and this is causing huge deforestation in South America. Legislation would also provide better support for UK farming and encourage domestic feed production. Our reliance on feed imports leaves farmers vulnerable to sudden price shocks in global markets that send costs rocketing.
Thirdly, we must get to grips with our unhealthy and unsustainable diets, costing our already cash-strapped economy billions of pounds each year. An urgent public information campaign is needed to encourage and incentivise the switch to more sustainable diets, including less but better meat and dairy.
Fourthly, radical reform of the CAP is needed. But while both coalition parties have backed subsidy reform, little detail has emerged on how they will do this.
FoE research has found that UK taxpayers spend some £700m every year through the CAP to prop up factory farming. This money must be redirected to support sustainable farming systems such as extensive grass-fed meat and dairy production and the development of home-grown feed crops.
Finally, during the election the Lib Dems talked of "the substantial purchasing power of government to expand the market for green products". Nowhere is this more urgent than the procurement of food.
The public sector spends more than £2.2bn on food each year based primarily on the view that cheapest is best. Little consideration is given to the environmental costs and lost economic opportunities for local producers.
Sourcing seasonal, local, healthy and sustainable food would be a huge leap towards rebuilding our local food infrastructure, encouraging farmers to make environmental improvements and making healthy eating the norm.
Our food system is inextricably linked to the toughest challenges our society faces and this is why fixing the food chain must be at the heart of policymaking.
Helen Rimmer is a food campaigner with Friends of the Earth.
Food and farming was a notable omission from the policy pledges by the coalition government last week, despite the fact urgent action is needed to fix the food chain.
The food industry has an enormous carbon footprint, accounting for about a third of the greenhouse gas emissions the average Briton is responsible for. It also has a considerable impact on wildlife and habitats, especially abroad. Meanwhile, obesity and diet-related diseases are estimated to cost the economy £10bn a year and this is set to soar.
Clearly our food system is no longer sustainable for people or the planet and must be an urgent priority for the new administration. Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to focus on five key areas, firstly, a supermarket ombudsman. Two years ago the Competition Commission recommended an independent supermarket ombudsman. Establishing a powerful independent regulator as pledged in the Lib Dem manifesto would deliver an instant win for farmers, small businesses and create a fairer food system, while a recent YouGov poll found that eight out of 10 shoppers backed its creation.
Secondly, we want to see a sustainable meat and dairy law, needed to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation caused by the UK's dependence on imported animal feeds. An area the size of Devon and Cornwall is currently required to provide UK factory farms with protein feed and this is causing huge deforestation in South America. Legislation would also provide better support for UK farming and encourage domestic feed production. Our reliance on feed imports leaves farmers vulnerable to sudden price shocks in global markets that send costs rocketing.
Thirdly, we must get to grips with our unhealthy and unsustainable diets, costing our already cash-strapped economy billions of pounds each year. An urgent public information campaign is needed to encourage and incentivise the switch to more sustainable diets, including less but better meat and dairy.
Fourthly, radical reform of the CAP is needed. But while both coalition parties have backed subsidy reform, little detail has emerged on how they will do this.
FoE research has found that UK taxpayers spend some £700m every year through the CAP to prop up factory farming. This money must be redirected to support sustainable farming systems such as extensive grass-fed meat and dairy production and the development of home-grown feed crops.
Finally, during the election the Lib Dems talked of "the substantial purchasing power of government to expand the market for green products". Nowhere is this more urgent than the procurement of food.
The public sector spends more than £2.2bn on food each year based primarily on the view that cheapest is best. Little consideration is given to the environmental costs and lost economic opportunities for local producers.
Sourcing seasonal, local, healthy and sustainable food would be a huge leap towards rebuilding our local food infrastructure, encouraging farmers to make environmental improvements and making healthy eating the norm.
Our food system is inextricably linked to the toughest challenges our society faces and this is why fixing the food chain must be at the heart of policymaking.
Helen Rimmer is a food campaigner with Friends of the Earth.
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