Liberal Democrats announce National Food Strategy to cut food prices and back British Farmers

EMBARGO: 22:30 Thursday 13th June

• Analysis by the Liberal Democrats finds the average family spends £700 more on food per year compared to 2019
• Lib Dem Deputy Leader slams Conservative party for “standing idly by whilst families and pensioners struggle to put food on the table”
• New National Food Strategy to tackle rising food prices, end food poverty, ensure food security and improve health and nutrition, while backing British farmers. 
• Party commits an extra £1bn boost to the farming budget as well as expanding free-school meals for all children in poverty

The Liberal Democrats will today (Friday 14th June) announce plans for a new National Food Strategy to tackle rising food prices by supporting British farmers.

The policy announcement comes as new analysis by the Liberal Democrats finds compared to 2019, the cost of the weekly shop has risen by almost a third (30%). On average, a typical household now spends around £700 a year more on food than five years ago. 

The National Food Strategy would be backed up by the party’s plan to boost the farming budget by £1bn a year. The strategy would be a top priority for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under the Liberal Democrats’ plan, and involve industry experts from agriculture, farming and fishing, and nutrition. 

It comes after the government’s former lead food adviser, Henry Dimbleby, condemned the government’s food plan, saying it was “not a strategy”.

The Liberal Democrats have previously announced their plan to expand free-school meals for all children in poverty, with an ambition to roll out free-school meals for all primary school children. 

The party’s proposals to bring down food prices include:

• The introduction of a comprehensive National Food Strategy to tackle rising food prices, end food poverty, ensure food security and improve health and nutrition
• A £1bn per year boost to UK farmers who are coping with expensive energy and production costs after Conservative neglect
• Renegotiating the Australia and New Zealand trade agreements in line with our objectives for health, environmental and animal welfare standards
• Extending free school meals to all children in poverty in England
• Cutting Conservative red tape which is damaging British farmers and fishers

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: 

“The Conservatives have been standing idly by whilst families and pensioners struggle to put food on the table. 

“The cost of the weekly shop has got out of control, yet the Conservative Party are too out of touch to care. 

“The best way to bring down food prices is to back British farmers. Our farmers have been taken for granted by the Conservative Party, left to cope with sky-high energy bills and botched overseas trade deals.

“By bringing together the best of British farming and industry experts, the Liberal Democrats plan to bring down food bills will ease the pain on hard-pressed families and pensioners.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Analysis of food prices by the Liberal Democrats can be found here.

According to the ONS, food prices have risen by more than 30% since the start of the last Parliament (December 2019).

The Liberal Democrat plan includes:

• A £1 billion a year boost to the farming budget across the whole of the UK, accelerating the rollout of the new Environmental Land Management schemes to support profitable, sustainable and nature-friendly farming. 

• Introducing a holistic and comprehensive National Food Strategy to ensure food security, tackle rising food prices, end food poverty and improve health and nutrition.

• Renegotiating the Australia and New Zealand trade agreements in line with our objectives for health, environmental and animal welfare standards.

• Extending free school meals to all children in poverty in England.

The Guardian, ‘Food plan for England condemned by its own lead adviser’, linked here.