Union welcomes Wales Food Bill
THE FARMERS’ Union of Wales says it has broadly welcomed the new draft Food (Wales) Bill.
The bill has been drafted by Member of the Senedd for Monmouth Peter Fox. It seeks to establish a more sustainable food system in Wales to strengthen food security, improve Wales’ socioeconomic wellbeing, and enhance consumer choice.
FUW senior policy and communications officer Gareth Parry said: “In our response, we highlighted how the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing Russian war on Ukraine has demonstrated how sensitive food supply chains and agricultural commodities can be to global events, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers of relying on imports of food and raw materials.
“While the combined impacts of recent events are evidenced by the fact that the UK inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverage prices reached 12.7% in July 2022, The Andersons’ Centre reported in July that ‘agflation’ (inflation linked to rising agricultural costs and prices) was running at 23.5% per annum.”
The union further stressed that with current inflation rates and soaring energy prices, pressures on disposable incomes and the public purse are increasing, which will inevitably lead to more price-based purchasing decisions.
“As such, there is certainly a role for the Welsh Government to play in building better relations with major retailers as they continue to be the primary outlet for Welsh produce in order to maintain – as much as possible – the positive trends the Welsh red meat industry has experienced throughout the pandemic,” said Mr Parry.
Central to this, the FUW highlighted in its response, is the need for clear labelling of Welsh produce which recognises the world-leading animal health and welfare, environmental and food standards farmers already adhere to.
“This is essential given that a large proportion of Welsh produce – including that produced to the standards of farm assurance schemes such as Red Tractor and FAWL – is sold by major retailers in other parts of the UK under the GB flag due to a lack of processing capacity in Wales, making it extremely difficult to segregate products by their country of origin.
“Adjacent to this, especially now that consumers are returning to eating out of the home, is the need for clear labelling of Welsh produce across the food service sector,” added Mr Parry.
Regarding public procurement, the consultation document stated that ‘public bodies have been found to have very different and inconsistent attitudes towards food policy within their own remit.’
“The FUW has been instrumental in ensuring that Chartwells – the catering company supplying food to schools in Anglesey – commits to source 30% of the total produce from within a 60-mile radius as part of its contract with Anglesey County Council.
“Whilst the proportion of food procured locally by some public bodies has increased over recent years, there remain a significant number of administrations which fail to support Welsh agriculture, choosing instead to accept produce from countries which often fail to meet the high production standards which are a statutory requirement in Wales,” highlighted Mr Parry.