Government told to get back to basics on food

NFU Cymru recently suggested that the Welsh Assembly Government needs to prioritise on a few basic but key policies contained within an all-embracing ten year food strategy rather than attempt to rectify and manage a number of different issues concurrently.

In its written response to the Welsh Assembly Government consultation, ’Food Strategy for Wales Food for Wales, Food from Wales 2010 – 2020’, NFU Cymru highlighted three basic but key issues that needed rectifying to ensure success for the Welsh food sector, these were; securing recognition that primary food producers must remain profitable; poor labelling practice and poorly developed procurement policies.

John Davies, Chairman of NFU Cymru’s Food and Marketing Consultative Group said, "Firstly and most importantly the key issue the strategy must deliver on is the profitability of primary production, which is the bedrock of the Welsh food industry. It is absolutely vital that the industry is profitable, not only to improve confidence and re-investment in farm businesses but to make the industry more attractive to the next generation.

NFU Cymru then highlighted the importance of clear and concise food labelling and the need for mandatory country of origin labelling. Mr Davies said, "It is in no-one’s interest for consumers to be confused, misled or annoyed by labels. Consumers deserve to have clear and concise information provided on labels in order for them to make informed decisions on their choice of products and Wales as a nation has a lot to gain through improved country of origin labelling.

"The policy for food procurement also needs to be addressed and there is a need to develop stronger links between the food and tourism industry," said Mr Davies. He continued, "There is considerable scope to link Wales’ food sector with the marketing of Wales’ key tourist attractions and to use high profile events and locations, to promote and make use of Welsh produce. Food establishments should also be promoting their commitment to support Welsh food producers by clearly noting the use of Welsh local produce on menus, wherever possible.

"The Welsh Assembly Government also has a role to play as current public procurement policies just don’t give enough attention to the sourcing of home produced food. Even though we have seen small steps in the right direction recently, we must continue to strive for a public procurement strategy which places the sourcing of food produced in Wales at its heart."

Mr Davies ended, "Farmers, our customers and consumers deserve a properly functioning food strategy with the principles of fairness, transparency and sustainability at its core. Poor profits, poor labelling practice and poorly developed procurement policies need to be tackled to develop a stable strategy to secure a sustainable future for Wales’ primary food producers and the nations food industry."