DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref
326:/08) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 6 October 2008
The establishment
of a new team of advisers on food policy from the farm to the fork
has been announced today by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for
the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.
The Council of Food Policy Advisers will include expertise from
every sector of our food system - from production to retail, and
from regulation and distribution to consumption.
It will advise government on food affordability, security of
supply and the environmental impact of food production, and
contribute to the drawing up of a policy for food security and
supply which is expected to be published later this year.
Speaking at a Chatham House event on global food security, Mr.
Benn said:
"With rising prices and increasing demand across the globe,
we can't take our food supply for granted. Our food supply
needs to be reliable and resilient and able to withstand shocks
and crises.
"Our food supplies must remain secure, and we must have a
strong, thriving, environmentally sustainable farming industry in
this country that continues to produce a significant proportion of
our food.
"The expert team will draw in expertise on every aspect of
our food system, providing advice from the farm to the fork. It is
time for a more strategic approach to food policy, and the Council
will provide that strategic oversight and ensure our policies
support a sustainable food system that provides safe, affordable
and healthy food."
The Council of Food Policy Advisors will advise the Secretary of
State as a member of the new National Economic Council. It will
cover food production, supplies, prices, distribution,
consumption, and related aspects of food policy.
The Council will report to the Secretary of State for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs but will also work closely
with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency.
In July the Cabinet Office published the Strategy Unit report
"Food Matters: Towards a strategy for the 21st Century"
which drew together evidence about long-term trends in food
production and consumption, and proposed new objectives for future
food policy:
Also in July, Defra published a discussion paper, "Ensuring
the UK's food security in a changing world."
Notes to editors
1. Hilary Benn was speaking at the "Food Security in the
21st Century" conference organised by Chatham House.
2. To view the Cabinet Office report "Food Matters: Towards
a strategy for the 21st Century" go to http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/~/media/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/food/food_matters1%20pdf.ashx
3. To view the Defra discussion document "Ensuring the
UK's food security in a changing world" go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/foodstrategy/documents/Ensuring-UK-Food-Security-in-a-changing-world-170708.pdf
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