MPs have announced a probe into the government’s response to rising food prices and food insecurity.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee will also assess the government’s National Food Strategy, launched in June in response to Henry Dimbleby’ s recommendations for the future of the industry.
The inquiry will look at the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and the outlook for food inflation, following predictions by IGD that it will hit 15% in coming months and could last into 2023.
“There are few things more important than the food we eat – where it comes from, its quality and its price,” said Efra Committee chair Robert Goodwill. “Our food producers are facing extremely challenging times – with rising energy and fertiliser prices as well as the war in Ukraine. These pressures are now also being felt by consumers.
“The government is not responsible for all the problems facing food supply chains, but it is essential it does all it can to help manage these pressures as it implements its new food strategy.
“About three quarters of the types of food we can produce in this country are supplied by our own farmers, producers and growers. We want to start a debate about whether that’s the right level and what that means for how we use our land and the priority we put on food production.”
The closing date for submissions of written evidence to the inquiry is 30 September.
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