A New All Party Parliamentary Group Has Been Formed To Champion Supply Chain Fairness
London 13 March 2024: Britain’s farmers are reducing production levels and exiting the industry in record numbers in response to the current unfairness challenges of the food supply chain. This has significant knock-on effects for long-term food insecurity and devastating consequences for climate recovery, UK tourism, access to green spaces, levelling up rural communities, and even national security.
The APPG on Fair Value in the Food Supply Chain has been established as the first group in Parliament dedicated to tackling supply chain fairness to address the main cause underlying the decline in British food production: wafer-thin or even negative returns. The Group provides a forum for MPs and Peers to raise awareness among fellow policymakers of the challenges in the food value chain and the importance of fair margins and contract terms at every stage, from farmer to retailer.
The APPG was launched at A Taste of the UK event on Wednesday 13th March, by bringing a small farmers’ market to the House of Commons to showcase the quality and variety of British produce. The event brought business leaders from across the supply chain together with MPs to discuss the major issues facing food businesses.
The APPG is chaired by Daniel Zeichner, the Labour Member of Parliament for Cambridge and long-serving Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Other members and officers of the APPG include Rosie Duffield, Member of Parliament for Canterbury, George Eustice, Member of Parliament for Camborne and Redruth, Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, Green Party Peer, Martyn Day, Member of Parliament for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, Alan Brown, Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Lord Cameron of Dillington, Conservative Peer and Lord Carrington, Crossbench Peer.
Rural Policy Group (RPG) was founded by Mark Lumsdon-Taylor in 2019 with support from leading UK accounting and advisory firm MHA, The Institute of Directors and the CBI to support the UK’s agriculture, food and farming sector towards financial and environmental sustainability. The University of Surrey has kindly agreed to undertake research to support the APPG in gathering evidence and making its recommendations.
Daniel Zeichner MP says: “The APPG on Fair Value in the Food Supply Chain has been set up to deliver recommendations on improving the quality of negotiations between partners in the food value chain to ensure a fair flow of margin from top to bottom. The status quo is failing the many farmers who are unable to make a decent living from producing food and it is imperative we seek change. The briefing paper outlining the Group’s recommendations will be published in 2024”.
Professor Amelia Hadfield, University of Surrey: “Farming is crucial for providing food security, sustaining economies, and promoting environmental health. Equally, food that is fairly priced food is a key component of a sustainable agricultural system, ensuring equitable benefits for farmers, supporting economic stability, and contributing to global food security. Both farming, and fairly priced food represent vital ways in which to underwrite Britain’s economic growth in key areas, including trade and climate stewardship. We are delighted to support the RPG, and the new APPG to assist in providing research and impactful insights in this important area.”
Katie Tucker, Executive Director of RPG: “Farming underpins everything we hope to be as a society and economy. It is the start of a £127 billion food value chain and critical to a healthy population and healthy environment. Yet, we are at serious risk of losing irreplaceable corporate knowledge and productive land as farmers exit the industry or divert land to alternative uses. Farmers need a fair price, prompt payment and more autonomy in contract negotiations to enable them to continue feeding the nation.
“The APPG on Fair Value in the Food Supply Chain was established to shine a light on this particular fracture in the food system and offer recommendations to policymakers to help secure the future of British farming and food production”.
APPG meetings are open to MPs, Peers and representatives of organisations affected by the issues being investigated. The first meeting is being held in June 2024. Please email Katie@theruralpolicygroup.com to attend or for information on future dates.
