Election Issues - Food and Farming

Today is the day we vote for new leadership here in the UK. It is not our place to say who you should vote for, but we certainly wanted to bring to the forefront how a Conservative, Labour or Liberal democrat government would affect the food and farming industries based on the policies they have been promoting during their respective election campaigns. We do care about our food and the quality of the farming that produces it. So lets get straight to it.

Conservative policies:                                   

• Overhaul farming regulations to reduce paperwork
• Support reform of EU farming subsidies
• Help consumers to "buy British" by changing rules on food labelling
• Block commercial planting of GM crops until and unless they have been assessed as safe
• Appoint a Supermarket Ombudsman 

Labour policies:                                                         

• Continue to press for reform of EU farming subsidies so farmers are paid for sustainable land management
• Put pressure on the EU to tighten up food origin labelling
• Create a Supermarket Ombudsman to ensure fairness for farmers
• Continue to assess GM crops on a case-by-case basis 

Liberal democrat policies:                                           

• Push for reform of EU farming subsidies, introducing a minimum level for the Single Farm Payment

• Create a legally binding supermarket code to stop supermarket exploitation of farmers
• Work with the EU to make sure country-of-origin labels identify the source of the products, not where they are packaged
• Oppose commercial growing of GM crops.

Other party policies worth mentioning:

Green Party

• Give financial help and advice to farmers making the transition to organic
• Introduce a Land Value Tax, to reduce speculation in land and encourage local people to remain in agriculture
• Facilitate farm produce delivery schemes
• Phase out intensive and industrial farming
• Block GM crops
• Ban live animal transport
• Ban the introduction of genetically modified organisms
• Support allotments

British National Party

• Encourage rapid switchover to organic and low fossil fuel farming techniques
• Gradually withdraw from EU agricultural subsidy schemes
• End the "unhealthy, energy intensive and cruel" factory farming of livestock
• Introduce a tax on bulk transportation to force supermarkets to stock more local produce
• Block the development and importation of GM produce
• Outlaw "non-stunned ritual slaughter" of animals
• Establish a coastal fishing exclusivity zone.

It is interesting that there are certain issues that most of the political parties seem to agree on. Every party makes it clear that they do not want GM crops to be sold here in the UK, except Labour who suggest that each crop should be viewed on a case by case basis. We agree that we should not allow GM foods to cause the same problems that have been experienced in the USA where GM cropping was allowed on a vast scale. It is essential that GM foods are not allowed within the UK foodchain where currently possible. The three main parties all endorse the need to improve food labelling so that it is absolutely clear what the country of origin is for each food product. This is a necessary step forward, but perhaps the BNP are onto something when they suggest that some sort of penalty should be levied if supermarkets rely too heavily on imported, non-local foods. Perhaps it may be better to offer some sort of incentive to the supermarkets who are able to stock with more local produce. The three main parties also emphasise the need to have a official post, an ombudsman, who works to protect the farmers from corporate pressure and unfair trading from the supermarkets. Supermarkets have been forcing the prices down for so long and pushing farmers into unfair deals that they are making little profit in many cases unless they establish vast farming enterprises which inevitably reduce the quality of the food grown and push the farmer towards intensively reared animal production and extensive mono-cropping.

Unfortunately it is only the smaller parties who are pushing for change on topics that could really increase the quality of food for the masses by phasing out industrial farming and supporting the conversion to higher quality organic production, encouraging growing our own fruit and veg by increasing the availability of allotments, establishing coastal fishing zones, shifting away from fossil fuel farming techniques, supporting farm produce delivery schemes and banning excessive and stressful animal transportation. These are all issues that are not even being entertained by the 'big three' political parties. The more the general public demand that these important issues, that affect our food quality, are addressed and actioned the more likely it is that we will be able to realise every British citizens basic human rights to have access to nutrient dense, high quality food. This will lead to better health across the nation and reduce the financial and human resource strain on the NHS.

Time will tell. Vote wisely.

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