The Liberal Democrats want to curb the economic muscle of supermarkets while giving food producers fairer deals.
Prompted by allegations of major chains squeezing farm prices to below-economic returns, the party has set its sights on evening up the score.
As a start, it is proposing the creation of a food trade inspector responsible for ensuring that producers receive a fair price - and that consumers pay it.
In addition, the Lib-Dems say there should be a single cabinet minister with overall responsibility for co-ordinating national food policy.
They also want the Food Standards Agency to be expanded with the creation of a nutrition council developing a long-term strategy to improve the nation’s diet.
And they aim to give local councils powers to ensure planning decisions provide a range of retail opportunities. All the proposals were contained in a comprehensive food policy adopted by the Lib-Dems at their annual conference in Bournemouth.
Their policy is based to a significant extent on the belief that public health suffers from over-reliance on processed food, inadequate nutritional knowledge and a lack of cooking skills.
The motion was presented by environment, food & rural affairs spokeswoman in the Lords, Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, who told The Grocer: “We have to restore trust and confidence.
“In the long run if the producers, the consumers or the retailers lose out, then we all lose out.”
The Lib-Dems claim “the UK has no coherent food policy.” They want policies encouraging healthy eating, improved labelling, and “distribution systems which are energy-efficient from farm to fork”.
Prompted by allegations of major chains squeezing farm prices to below-economic returns, the party has set its sights on evening up the score.
As a start, it is proposing the creation of a food trade inspector responsible for ensuring that producers receive a fair price - and that consumers pay it.
In addition, the Lib-Dems say there should be a single cabinet minister with overall responsibility for co-ordinating national food policy.
They also want the Food Standards Agency to be expanded with the creation of a nutrition council developing a long-term strategy to improve the nation’s diet.
And they aim to give local councils powers to ensure planning decisions provide a range of retail opportunities. All the proposals were contained in a comprehensive food policy adopted by the Lib-Dems at their annual conference in Bournemouth.
Their policy is based to a significant extent on the belief that public health suffers from over-reliance on processed food, inadequate nutritional knowledge and a lack of cooking skills.
The motion was presented by environment, food & rural affairs spokeswoman in the Lords, Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, who told The Grocer: “We have to restore trust and confidence.
“In the long run if the producers, the consumers or the retailers lose out, then we all lose out.”
The Lib-Dems claim “the UK has no coherent food policy.” They want policies encouraging healthy eating, improved labelling, and “distribution systems which are energy-efficient from farm to fork”.
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