Olivia Midgley
Editor of Farmers Guardian, Agriconnect
World Food Day (October 16) is a poignant reminder that food security really is our national security.
Throughout wars, economic meltdowns and a global pandemic, food is what has bound us all and kept our nation going. What this has shown us is the fragility of our food system.
Precarious food systems amid rising costs
Just-in-time supply chains ensure our food is fresh, nutritious and safe. However, they often leave our food systems precarious and open to shocks, especially when external factors and events come into play.
Changing and more extreme weather patterns, coupled with the costs of energy, feed and fuel, are making production of the food we all enjoy more difficult. We know only farmers in the ‘black’ can afford to invest in ‘green’ schemes to boost our environment and the natural world, but too often, too few farmers make a profit without support.
If we can link health to a climate and nature-friendly agricultural sector, we will be stronger as a nation.
Balancing high standards with farm viability
The UK has set out to be a world leader in the standards by which its food is produced, but that ‘gold standard’ comes at a cost. Costs for producers are mounting all the time. It is no easy task to balance these high standards with food security and the profitability of farming businesses, which deliver far more than the food on the nation’s plates. It is a balance that has to be struck to ensure the viability of both our farming industry and sacred environment.
Key to this will be investment in practices that help businesses improve and boost the production of nature-friendly food. This includes driving innovation and technology, integrating nature into farm business planning, and ensuring farmers are properly compensated for providing public goods. Additionally, the regulatory and planning systems will be streamlined to reduce bureaucracy and ensure efficiency.
Linking food, health and sustainability
So, how do we improve our self-sufficiency and produce more healthy and nutritious homegrown food? With the UK buckling under the strain of an NHS waiting list backlog, dietary-related ill-health including type 2 diabetes among adults and children on an upwards trajectory, obesity costing our health service around £6.5 billion a year, plus the use of food banks at an all-time high, food has to be seen as the common denominator.
If we can link health to a climate and nature-friendly agricultural sector, we will be stronger as a nation. Now, more than ever, the farming industry needs signals from policymakers to bring certainty and give farmers the confidence to invest, grow and fulfil ambitions not only around producing healthy, nutritious food but also in caring for our natural world as well.
