Government must deliver new food strategy to ensure fairness for farmers and consumers – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has spoken out in Parliament on the need for more government action on food supply chain fairness, during a debate on food price inflation. Speaking in Westminster Hall on Thursday afternoon, Mr Carmichael highlighted the disparity of power between food producers and the major supermarkets, and the need to bring forward a revised food strategy to ensure fairness for farmers and consumers.

Mr Carmichael said:

“The hon. Lady is absolutely right in identifying the structure here. The market is one that is ripe for abuse. There are 15 behemoth retailers at the top and 210,000 primary producers at the bottom, leading to a situation where our constituents cannot afford to buy the food and the food producers cannot make a profit in producing it.

“Surely what we need to do is to look at that supply chain between the supermarket and the farm gate, build on the excellent work of Baroness Batters and her farming profitability review, and come forward with a revised food strategy, which we have been promised.”

Later in the debate, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle MP said:

“I am also acutely aware of the pressures that farmers face, which is why we are looking to see what we can do—as the Batters report suggested—to strengthen the fair dealing regulations for farmers to ensure that they get a fair price for the food they produce. Building on the Food Strategy Advisory Board established by my predecessor, we are collaborating across the entire food chain to deliver a system that works for everyone. We have a great deal of work to do. It is not simple, but we are determined to get on with it.”

Reacting after the debate, Mr Carmichael said:

“Having proposed legislation last year to deliver food supply chain fairness for farmers, I am glad that the government at least seems to grasp the need for more action, but progress has been painfully slow. There are only so many reports and consultations that can be done before farmers and food producers expect real results.

“If the international turmoil of recent years and indeed recent days tells us anything it is that we need more security at home, including food security. That food security only comes through our nation’s farmers – it is time the government acted on that reality.”