Crisis reveals UK’s food system ‘not fit for purpose’, peers told
THE CORONAVIRUS crisis has highlighted serious shortcomings in Britain’s food system which is “no longer fit for purpose”, peers have been told.
Baroness Boycott said the current structure delivered “cheap food” but at a “huge cost to the environment, our health and food security”.
In a virtual House of Lords debate yesterday, Lady Boycott called for the Government to develop a more resilient and healthier food system once the crisis has eased.
The independent crossbench peer said: “Covid-19 has revealed, once and for all, that our food system is no longer fit for purpose.”
She claimed it showed the food system was a risk, with retailers reliant on complicated global supply chains to deliver food to supermarket shelves on a “just in time” basis.
She added: “We have simultaneously allowed our domestic food production to languish, particularly for perishable items such as fruit and vegetables.”
Lady Boycott said evidence of a link between obesity and Covid-19 was “rapidly emerging” and could “no longer be washed away”.
She warned the price of imported staples could rise due to labour shortages and countries introducing export bans.
Domestic food producers had been neglected instead of being recognised as an “essential” sector.
“We desperately need the Government to show leadership,” Lady Boycott said. “We are facing an unprecedented moment – one that is full of risk but also full of opportunity.
“We must make our food system resilient to economic shocks and environmental and climate risk. It must be less dependent on last-minute deliveries of vital perishable goods from overseas... and we must prioritise our nation’s health.”
Lord Krebs, the former chairman of the Food Standards Agency, warned that Covid-19 will increase hunger and poor nutrition in the UK, with a growing number of people joining the millions already unable to afford enough to eat.
The independent crossbencher said: “We can survive without many things but food is not one of them.
“After housing costs, 12.9 million people in this country, including 3.7 million children, live in absolute poverty.
“This is a shocking fact in a rich country like ours and many of these people live in what is politely called food insecurity. In other words, they cannot afford to buy enough to eat.
“Remarkably, the Government doesn’t measure this. They have no idea what the real number is, but it is almost certainly in millions.
“As a result of Covid-19, the figure has almost certainly increased.”
Lord Krebs argued one of the causes of food insecurity was the five-week wait for the first payment of Universal Credit.
He added: “But further and incredibly the amount of money given out in benefits takes no account of the cost of buying food.
“According to Government figures, since the lockdown the number of applicants for Universal Credit has increased five-fold to 1.8 million and the numbers are expected to rise still further.
“So apart from all its other effects, Covid-19 will increase hunger and poor nutrition in this country.”
We desperately need the Government to show leadership.
Baroness Boycott