Meat industry reacts to Government Food Strategy
Meat trade bodies have voiced a mixed reaction to the recommendations and targets set out as part of the Government Food Strategy, with Co2, labour shortages and environmental concerns core topics of discussion.
The government’s new Food Strategy is based on the recommendations of the National Food Strategy, published by Henry Dimbleby in two separate parts over the last two years.
Key targets from the Strategy include:
- The government is seeking to further build the UK’s resilience to future crises and shocks, it will continue to “monitor and strengthen” the resilience of the country’s supply chains and support its domestic production.
- The government is looking to incentivise the food sector to make use of surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes, and renewable sources of energy.
- The skilled worker visa route aims to allow skilled professionals from overseas to bring their expertise to the UK in developing this sector.
- Government will work with industry to develop plans to “bolster resilience of critical inputs” such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and fertiliser. This will include a specific long-term plan on CO2 in 2022 and a focus on pioneering more organic-based fertilisers, to “ensure continued certainty and availability for all inputs which underpin our food production.”
Amongst its other recommendations, the report noted that government will commission an independent review to assess and ensure the quantity and quality of the food sector workforce. The review will seek to encompass the roles of automation, domestic employment and migration routes.
A mixed reaction
NFU president Minette Batters said the strategy had stripped Dimbleby’s proposals “to the bare bones”. She said: “We want to be eating more British and more local food but again I just ask how.”
A spokesperson for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), Tony Goodger, said that the environment is “uppermost in the minds of many”, but added that the report’s proposal to reduce meat and dairy consumption by 30% was “never the solution.”
He explained: “The proposed research into feed additives that can reduce methane emissions from livestock should provide reassurance for our country’s farmers that beef, lamb and dairy product remain on the nation’s menu and that this work, if successful, has the opportunity to add further sales benefits to British red meat in the valuable export markets.”
Goodger said that the body welcomed both the strategy’s emphasis on using technology to drive the food industry forward and the launch of an independent review to tackle labour shortages in the food supply chain.
Addressing the latter of the issues, Goodger said: “We have been lobbying the government since January for an extension to the seasonal poultry workers scheme and welcome the announcement of an extension to it though believe that this needs to be introduced immediately to enable poultry businesses to recruit and train staff for the busy summer period as well as for the run up to Christmas.
“Furthermore we would like to see the government remove the need for businesses to use their appointed labour providers and allow businesses to make their own staffing arrangements.”
Grants for Co2 capture requested
Commenting on the Strategy’s approach to “bolster resilience” of Co2 supplies, Goodger noted that issues surrounding the supply of CO2 have challenged the meat and poultry processing industry for the last four to five years.
He added: “The strategy has recognised this with the aim to incentivise the sector to use surplus CO2 from industrial processes. It is our view that too much CO2 from processes such as anaerobic digestion is simply let go into the atmosphere and, in the same way as the government have recently challenged industry to develop alternatives to red diesel, they should be offering grant money to capture all CO2 emissions from industrial processes for re-use in the food industry.”
Goodger concluded that AIMS, overall, were “very supportive of the pragmatic response” from the government in respect to a food strategy for the country. AIMS said it will work with government and its members “to deliver its vision.”
Food strategy broadly welcomed as industry seeks delivery timeline
Awards product deadline extended due to demand
