Government and farmers must work together to prevent UK health and biodiversity crisis

These are testing times for the UK’s agricultural industry. Biodiversity is in decline, food insecurity is growing, the economic outlook is uncertain, climate change is reaching crisis point, and awareness is increasing of the link between poor diet and the general quality of our health and wellbeing.

In restaurateur and independent government advisor Henry Dimbleby’s recently published National Food Strategy, which addresses these issues facing the UK food system, it was highlighted that, “Farmers must be at the centre of the transition of the food system”.

I could not agree with this more – a holistic view of our food systems and ability to recognise the interconnectivity within them is essential in order to make meaningful changes. Many of the issues surrounding our food systems, including biodiversity can be addressed through sustainable agriculture - regenerative agriculture, agro-ecology, permaculture and holistic management.

However, in order for farmers to evolve and overcome these challenges, they would benefit from an outlined policy and legislative framework that enables them to do so.

Farmers are natural innovators and will, if supported, lead this transformation, but everyone has a responsibility and role to play in making sure we sustain and improve the health of, not only the planet, but also our own well-being.

As put by the NFS, “it would not make sense for farmers and manufacturers in the UK to put in all the work necessary to create a sustainable domestic food system, only to find the market saturated with food imports that cause environmental devastation abroad, including biodiversity loss and rainforest destruction.”

Furthermore, if we open up the market to cheap food produced to lower standards abroad, it will continue to have a detrimental impact on individuals’ health, as consumers will continue to purchase low-priced, highly processed foods, which will in turn be damaging to the economy.

The government already spends an estimated £18 billion on conditions related to high BMI every year, and if we do not get diet-related disease under control, we risk overwhelming the NHS, which as the Covid pandemic has highlighted is already operating under high levels of stress.

With these projections, the government must act now to address the supply chain and supermarket monopoly issues. Meanwhile, the public also has a substantial role to play, in using their voices and votes – and their spending power – to help bring about change.

There is a need amongst the public for a greater understanding of the implications of those split-second purchasing decisions, and a shift to more responsible consumption. The industry sees people as “consumers”, buying products or services with no consideration for the consequences of that purchasing decision, and little understanding of what is a fair price.

The complexities of supply chains are such that the majority of people simply do not understand the impact that their choices have on the environment, habitats and the social and economic health of farming communities. Yet consumer demand is the driving force behind this vast industry and public support is key to achieving a more balanced supply chain.

Going forward, it is essential that governments recognise and adopt macro integrated management strategies, addressing the interconnectivity that exists in order to optimise the symbiotic relationships between humans, plants, animals and the environment.

This would mean bringing together multiple government departments and agencies. It would also require individual departments to act. Defra should be encouraging more farmers to move to sustainable practices and providing more support to those who have already made the switch.

The Department of Health and Social Care must do more to raise awareness of the importance of diet. The Competition Commission should look again at the big four supermarkets, their market share and influence, and their impact on the supply chain.

Change on this scale is never easy to navigate and it requires mass co-operation to succeed. However, once people understand this, and are empowered with knowledge, that change (that is so critical for our planets future) can happen.

For more information on sustainable farming systems please contact Tom 

Photo by Magda V on Unsplash