News • Sustainable Farming Campaign
Comment on MP Environment food and farming Committee report on Defra's future farm policy proposals
On publication today (6 June) of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Report on The future for food, farming and the environment, Sustain’s Farming Campaign Coordinator, Vicki Hird, says
“MP’s on the EFRA committee have done their homework in their assessment of Defra’s proposals for future farm policy. There is plenty to like but without the detail and an adequate budget to ensure farming can deliver public outcomes and survive post-Brexit, we agree it is hard to tell if government can adequately safeguard the future for vital small and medium-sized farms and protect the farmed environment.”
“MP’s have also noted the confusing and worrying messages on getting cheap food through global trade deals and we agree with their demand that trade deals must not undermine our farmers producing to higher environmental, food and animal welfare standards.”
We are very pleased to see the Committee recognising the extraordinary failure to consider wider food policy with public impact such as reducing diet-related diseases and we agree that future policy must support healthy food and new Government buying standards to ensure use of healthy, affordable and British food in Government procurement.”
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Sustain’s oral and written evidence to the EFRA Committee can be watched and accessed here and our response to the Defra Health and Harmony Consultation can be downloaded here.
Published Wednesday 6 June 2018
Sustainable Farming Campaign: Sustain encourages integration of sustainable food and farming into local, regional and national government policies.
