NPA to ensure industry voice heard in National Food Strategy review

The NPA will be feeding into the National Food Strategy, announced by the Government last week.

An independent review – led by Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon restaurants, the lead non-executive director at Defra and co-author of The School Food Plan – will look at the entire food chain in England, from field to fork.

His recommendations will result in a new National Food Strategy, the first of its kind for 75 years, set to be published in 2020. A call for evidence will be launched this summer.

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “This is a really important piece of work that will cover all aspects of food production. With so many vested interests involved, we will be making sure the pig industry’s voice is clearly heard in the review process.”

She pointed out that the review will include an independent panel and there will be opportunities for people who may want to put themselves forward individually.

Defra Secretary Michael Gove said: “Leaving the EU is a great opportunity for British farmers and food producers. But with an expanding population, the urgent threat of climate change and rising levels of diet-related disease, we face many challenges too.

“That is why the time is right for us to look afresh at our food system to ensure everyone has access to high-quality British food and our environment is protected for future generations.”

About the strategy

The Government said: “The National Food Strategy will build on the work underway in the Agriculture Bill, the Environment Bill, the Fisheries Bill, the Industrial Strategy and the Childhood Obesity Plan to create an overarching strategy for government which will set out the kind of food system we should be building for the future, and a plan for how to achieve that vision.”

Henry Dimbleby’s review will cover production, marketing, processing, sale and purchase of food (for consumption in the home and out of it). It will also look at the consumer practices, resources and institutions involved in these processes.

The review will look at how to how to ensure our food system:

• Delivers safe, healthy, affordable food, regardless of where people live or how much they earn;
• Is robust in the face of future shocks;
• Restores and enhances the natural environment for the next generation;
• Is built upon a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector;
• Is a thriving contributor to our urban and rural economies, delivering well paid jobs and supporting innovative producers and manufacturers;
• Does all of this in an efficient and cost-effective way.

More information

The Terms of Reference for the Strategy have been published here

Henry Dimbleby’s team have also set up an external website www.nationalfoodstrategy.org.

You can follow social media activity here @food_strategy using the hashtag #foodstrategy